I was reading my friend Phoebe's blog and she had a theme song for her blog. So it got me to thinking about the song that continues to get me through my days. If you listen to the lyrics you will understand why that is :)
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Brought Me To Tears...
A touching poem (apologize for the format)...
Marines Final Inspection
Author: -Unknown
Marine stood and faced God Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward Marine, How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?"
The Marine squared his shoulders and said, "No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent, Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place Among the people here,
They never wanted me around Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much, But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was a silence all around the throne Where the saints had often trod
As the Marine waited quietly, For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward Marine, You've borne your burdens well,
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, You've done your time in Hell."
Marines Final Inspection
Author: -Unknown
Marine stood and faced God Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward Marine, How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?"
The Marine squared his shoulders and said, "No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent, Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place Among the people here,
They never wanted me around Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much, But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was a silence all around the throne Where the saints had often trod
As the Marine waited quietly, For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward Marine, You've borne your burdens well,
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, You've done your time in Hell."
Why Doesn’t He Listen?
Over the course of the last year or so the Bush administration has taken a lot of criticism and lost a great deal of its approval rating among the American public due to his War on Iraq. It started, After 9/11, as the war on Terror. We sent our troops and attacked Afghanistan. We then, under a false suspicion of Weapons of mass destruction ended up in Iraq. Although the allegations were false, we at least captured Saddam Hussein and recently executed him on the count of mass genocide. So my question is that over the last six years with all of the brave American soldiers that have given there lives for this, what have we actually accomplished? There are a lot of little steps of forced democracy that are beginning to appear, but what will happen to Iraq after we do withdraw our troops will they continue to progress, or will we ever really withdraw our troops? Will Iraq just become another commonwealth of the U.S.?
As of right now I feel pretty strongly that what we are gaining right now over seas is not worth the lives of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers and civilians that are being taken everyday because of this conflict. I just wish that Bush would listen to the American people...I just want my Brett home!
No One Prouder
There is no one prouder than a fine military mother. I have never seen or met someone as strong as Bretts mother. Her support is of the strongest caliber to be found. Even though she knows what she has to do is hard, she lovingly does it with great care and heart.
Today I have asked Brett’s mother Val to be a guest blogger...
Let me start by saying that I have never once questioned what my son is doing over there. I believe in the rationale that has brought him there and I am proud of the courage that WILL bring him home to me. Ever since Brett was a boy he has been a leader. His determination and will-power are infectious and I believe that these characteristics along with the graces of God will shield him from danger. There are many young men today that spend their days drinking, doing drugs and literally wasting away. These people should be ashamed of themselves and their selfish lives. That is what a soldier is, someone who believes in something bigger than themselves. A boy who becomes a man by seeing a purpose that reaches out further into the realm of their existence, and into the lives of others. I instilled as many of these qualities as I could in Brett, but many of them have always been present. Shame on those individuals who waste their days protesting a war that is already well in progress. I would love to tell them why don’t you spend half the time writing thank you cards to the brave men who are fighting to protect the rights that you are demonstrating, freedom of speech. At the end of each day I thank God for my family and know that we will soon be reunited, in this life or the next. I thank God for the lifestyle that I often take for granted. And I thank God for Brett.
Today I have asked Brett’s mother Val to be a guest blogger...
Let me start by saying that I have never once questioned what my son is doing over there. I believe in the rationale that has brought him there and I am proud of the courage that WILL bring him home to me. Ever since Brett was a boy he has been a leader. His determination and will-power are infectious and I believe that these characteristics along with the graces of God will shield him from danger. There are many young men today that spend their days drinking, doing drugs and literally wasting away. These people should be ashamed of themselves and their selfish lives. That is what a soldier is, someone who believes in something bigger than themselves. A boy who becomes a man by seeing a purpose that reaches out further into the realm of their existence, and into the lives of others. I instilled as many of these qualities as I could in Brett, but many of them have always been present. Shame on those individuals who waste their days protesting a war that is already well in progress. I would love to tell them why don’t you spend half the time writing thank you cards to the brave men who are fighting to protect the rights that you are demonstrating, freedom of speech. At the end of each day I thank God for my family and know that we will soon be reunited, in this life or the next. I thank God for the lifestyle that I often take for granted. And I thank God for Brett.
Are We Headed For A Cliff...
An American Parable if I've ever seen one! If our president would just stop for a second and listen to the people in this country, maybe we wouldn’t be headed down the road for such a catastrophe! Bush is off course, lost and refusing to ask for directions (like most men..hehe)! When will he succumb to the people pleading for his attention? Will it take another disaster like 9/11 to recognize the importance of OUR homeland security rather than Iraqi’s? I pray to God we never reach the edge of that cliff!
Too Close For Comfort...
"Because of the nature of this war, there will be more people with mental problems than in the Persian Gulf War – it will be more like the Vietnam War”
- Lawrence J. Korb,
(former assistant secretary of defense under President Reagan and senior fellow for the Center for American Progress.)
Quotes like Korb’s really make me question exactly how much the media is withholding from us. Are the affects of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) really comparable to the aftermath of Vietnam?
A week ago today, Brett’s best friend Tim returned home from being in Iraq. Tim is in Brett’s same unit, Fox Battery 11, and came back early for reasons I am unaware of. My best friend, her boyfriend Eric, Tim and I went out last night for a couple of drinks. We were all talking and having a good time until Tim started to get major anxiety. It was nothing we said or did that caused him to show signs of PTSD, but simply it was his inability to relate. It wasn’t long after we left that he began to express his feelings. Rough night to say the least.
Brett and Tim:
The Fox news station stated that 15- 17 percent of combat soldiers surveyed upon their return from Iraq exhibited signs of anxiety, major depression or other mental health problems. Will Brett be a part of this statistic, and if the officials can devise a figure such as this why can’t they come up with a solution? I have heard that the stigma attached with seeking help often prevents soldiers from reaching out. This makes me ask WHY then isn’t psychological treatment and/or evaluation MANDATORY after service? This notion seems like common sense to me. The government has established online chat rooms, hotlines and support groups as means for acquiring help. All of these attempts involve an individual’s decision to admit to having a problem which over half those affected with PTSD never do! I’m not sure if I will be able to tell if Brett is exhibiting signs of PTSD. I may just think he is having trouble readjusting to society, or feeling disconnected from non-military family and friends. I am so scared that I will not see the signs and that Brett will become part of a statistic that gets documented and forgotten. The thought of him feeling trapped in a pit of emotion where he feels alone and weak is crushing. If we are sending all these soldiers over there with our prayers, nourishing their emotions with care packages and support from home, and celebrating their return then WHY isn’t the same amount of attending being paid to restoring their sense of humanity?
- Lawrence J. Korb,
(former assistant secretary of defense under President Reagan and senior fellow for the Center for American Progress.)
Quotes like Korb’s really make me question exactly how much the media is withholding from us. Are the affects of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) really comparable to the aftermath of Vietnam?
A week ago today, Brett’s best friend Tim returned home from being in Iraq. Tim is in Brett’s same unit, Fox Battery 11, and came back early for reasons I am unaware of. My best friend, her boyfriend Eric, Tim and I went out last night for a couple of drinks. We were all talking and having a good time until Tim started to get major anxiety. It was nothing we said or did that caused him to show signs of PTSD, but simply it was his inability to relate. It wasn’t long after we left that he began to express his feelings. Rough night to say the least.
Brett and Tim:
The Fox news station stated that 15- 17 percent of combat soldiers surveyed upon their return from Iraq exhibited signs of anxiety, major depression or other mental health problems. Will Brett be a part of this statistic, and if the officials can devise a figure such as this why can’t they come up with a solution? I have heard that the stigma attached with seeking help often prevents soldiers from reaching out. This makes me ask WHY then isn’t psychological treatment and/or evaluation MANDATORY after service? This notion seems like common sense to me. The government has established online chat rooms, hotlines and support groups as means for acquiring help. All of these attempts involve an individual’s decision to admit to having a problem which over half those affected with PTSD never do! I’m not sure if I will be able to tell if Brett is exhibiting signs of PTSD. I may just think he is having trouble readjusting to society, or feeling disconnected from non-military family and friends. I am so scared that I will not see the signs and that Brett will become part of a statistic that gets documented and forgotten. The thought of him feeling trapped in a pit of emotion where he feels alone and weak is crushing. If we are sending all these soldiers over there with our prayers, nourishing their emotions with care packages and support from home, and celebrating their return then WHY isn’t the same amount of attending being paid to restoring their sense of humanity?
Great Answer...
A couple posts back I asked Brett what the hardest part about being in the marines was. He had to go on a three day mission to Fulluja so he wasn’t able to respond. But I got an email from him today answering the question.
What is the hardest part about being in the military?
Sorry it took me so long babe! Forty hours of driving along plus not hearing your voice was pretty shitty…anyways. I would have to say that the hardest part about being in the military, especially the marines is the sacrifice and the demand of sacrifice that you not only have to make in yourself, but the sacrifice you and your friends and family have to make. Seeing the faces of your loved ones when you have to tell them you are going to miss a birthday or hearing the tremble in their voices when you tell them you are deploying to a combat zone for 7-9 months and don’t know if you are coming back, is the hardest part. Your loved ones and friends and family are the ones that make what we have to go through all worth it! Knowing they trust you to protect them and seeing those same trembling faces, when you get back off that bus straight from Iraq (which I am so looking forward to), or seeing those tears full of thankfulness to God is SO WORTH IT! The feeling in knowing that you served your country with honor and pride-that is what makes all the unspeakable worth it. I commend my friends and family but especially you my loved one for her sacrifice and beautiful heart that opened up and accepted this challenge. I am so proud of you and most importantly thankful for you and all you have done for me. Ya ya keep smiling!!!!
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