Since I've posted elsewhere about this in the past, I just thought I would do an "end of story" post.
A guy I work with, former SEAL, has a son who was in the sandbox (Iraq). Key word, "was." He came home yesterday in one piece. End of his second tour there. When his Dad asked him if he was done now, he replied, "Yeah." His Dad still isn't sure exactly what he meant by that.
The son has a PhD in Nursing and while the hospital he worked at kept his job, they moved him to third shift. I guess he said, "no thanks." Having a PhD in nursing in Ohio right now means his chances are good at landing a nice job soon.
The son also came back with a bronze star. Seems he was zooming his Dad (again, former SEAL who had a boat shot out from under him in Viet Nam) when he said he was on a hospital ship. He was riding medical evac. Hoo-rah! They were transporting an IA (Iraqi Army) soldier who was in bad shape (missing an arm was the only description I got) when they were shot down. The son stayed with the patient, under fire, until they could get out. The paitent, from what I could tell, lived. Something else, I'm sure, happened, but I don't have the story.
Bronze star. Hoo-rah!
I did joke with the Dad about he had a boat shot out form under him, and his son had a helicopter shot out from under him, that I don't think it would be good for his grandkids to go into the service.
So, as of today, I don't think I know of anybody in theater.
2 comments:
Funny, people always think of medics as non-combatants. In my experience, combat corpsmen often see more combat then anybody else. Those guys are the real heroes, they sure saved my butt - on more than one occasion. Glad your friend's son made it home in one piece. I surely do understanding him not telling his dad what he was up to though, I did the same thing with my family while I was over there. They're worried enough already and there's nothing they can do about it.
Jim, that's why medical transport got their own Hoo-rah (I wasn't in when this was popular, so I don't know if I did it right).
Reminds me of the Bill Cosby gag about, "The average life expectancy of the combat medic from the time the landing vehicle ramp slams down to when he almost makes the beach..."
Yeah, I think the Dad was a little pissed at not knowing his son was in danger, but he was mighty proud of his son's bronze star. He read the letter, so he knows exactly what his son did during that time they were on the ground, he didn't tell me, though.
He was, however, more pissed that a local National politician (Republican, from this area) didn't show up himself but sent a "young kid, probably in high school" as his rep. That our other national politician of the same rank (the Democrat, from S. Ohio) did show up rankles him a little more (for both not showing up and because the other guy could make it, which he honored).
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