The Jolly Green Giant

I should be writing my paper on Huey P. Long and FDR right now (or cleaning my house, but I'll make the husband do that tomorrow). Instead I'm writing this blog, editing photos, and screwing around on facebook thinking about the 10K I'm planning on running tomorrow. Here's a quick sample of what I've been working on:

I am feeling exceptionally brain dead right now and the probability of working on my paper gets smaller and smaller by the moment. The remainder of the evening will probably consist of a shower, last minute snacking, and getting my running gear set out for tomorrow (assuming I don't wake up and decide its just way to cold to get out of bed).

With Veterans day approaching (it's tomorrow here in Daegu), I begin to think about my buddies. Yes, I served in the military. No, I never got to do anything cool - they found out I could type so I spent most of my career in a cubical working on OERs, NCOERs, and other tedious paperwork. I did, however, have friends that served and some that are still serving.

Most of my friends are doing well. One did two tours in Iraq and is now out of the military and married. Two others from my time in Benning are still in the military currently between deployments. My cousin is in Afghanistan (i.e. the armpit of the world). Another good friend is doing well after loosing an eye to an IED in 2007. That same year, same deployment, same unit we lost our friend to an IED...

Nick (or Bill as we called him) WAS the jolly green giant. He was at least 6 foot and built like Paul Bunion. He was quiet, had a passion for cookies, and was always smiling - especially when he talked about his fiancée Ginger.

We knew when they left that the odds were against us - in all likelihood at least one of them wasn't coming back. I still remember getting the phone call from a friend (that shall remain nameless cause she informed me before his family was officially notified)...

Her: "Danielle?"
Me (already knowing something is up cause she never calls me): "Yea?"
Her: "It's Lightner..."
Me: "...oh God no..."

Yea, so those phone calls suck. She went on to tell me that his family didn't know yet but she wanted to let me know because she knew he was like a brother to me. He was and it still hurts like it happened yesterday. I can still remember that feeling of having been punched in the gut while simultaneously seeing stars and barely being able to hear her voice over the buzzing in my ears. I was on my way to wait for him to arrive at BAMC from Walter Reed when she called - I had been called earlier when he was injured; two died instantly, a second later in Iraq, a third in Germany and Nick was the last one on his way to BAMC from Walter Reed. Stable. I was supposed to be meeting his family at BAMC. I was supposed to be there when he got there in case they weren't there when he arrived...

So fast forward through the blur that was the next few weeks and I'm in Fort Hood at the memorial service. I'm not even going to pretend that I wasn't a mushy, sobbing pile of mess. I won't even begin to describe the roll call...

So this Veteran's day I remember my buddies - those that made it, and those that did not. I thank God for letting my friends come back safely, with scars but alive. Mostly I pray that my friends and family that are still "over there" are kept safe and that I never have to get another one of "those" phone calls.

So here's to you SGT Nicholas J. Lightner, gone but never forgotten.