Good News - Montana Owners Club

Garin1 · 02-21-2006, 04:52 AM

Well the DW gave me some excellent new today. I guess some of you know I work in Iraq (coming home in April,,Hoooraa) but I don't think I ever told anyone about my son Billy. He is in the Marine Corp and was stationed north of Baghdad at the same time I am south of Baghdad. The DW told me today that he has finally arrived safe and sound back in the states.

Tour over.

I can't tell you how happy we are about that. Good News,Huh

Glenn and Lorraine · 02-21-2006, 05:02 AM

That's a double "Hoooraa" Your son's home safe and in just a couple months you will too!

Kathi · 02-21-2006, 06:51 AM

That is wonderful news. Home safe and sound. Now for the family reunion stuff!!!Good times for all I would say.....

sreigle · 02-21-2006, 07:36 AM

That's terrific news, Garin1! We're hoping you get home safely, too.

CountryGuy · 02-21-2006, 07:36 AM

FABULOUS NEWS!!!! Does not get much better than that!

toolmanroy · 02-21-2006, 08:00 AM

I can only imagine how relieved your wife is! That must have been difficult for her.

Broome101 · 02-21-2006, 08:11 AM

Great news, tell him we appreciate our armed forces.

Wordsmith · 02-21-2006, 10:21 AM

That is excellent news! Congratulations! Now, you just need to get home safely as well!

jrgwdenner · 02-21-2006, 10:37 AM

What a relief! I don't know who your wife tolerated both of you being in such a dangerous situation. Doesn't the military have some regulation that precludes two members of the family being sent into a war zone at the same time?

Searchers · 02-21-2006, 10:43 AM

Being the proud parents of a son and daughter in law that have both served in war zones over the past 16 years we know your feeling of relief. Thanks to both of you for your service to our country!

fulltimedreamer · 02-21-2006, 11:43 AM

This is indeed good news. Be sure to pass our thanks along to your son for his service to our country!! Now, hurry home.

ejc1214 · 02-21-2006, 12:40 PM

Great news! I am glad that another of "our boys" got home safe and sound. God bless you fro all the sacrifices you and your son have made for all of us! Thank you.

Longwell · 02-21-2006, 01:25 PM

Please accept for yourself and pass on to your son (and your wife) how much we appreciate what you are both doing and giving up to help support our country and our beliefs. We wish you safety and happiness.

5rvers · 02-21-2006, 01:56 PM

That is wonderful news! I hope the next few weeks go really fast for you so you can meet your family. I know the feeling of returning home.

dsprik · 02-21-2006, 02:15 PM

My son was an Air Force Civil Engineer stationed in the War Zone within days after the war started. He was one of those guys you saw on the news running a bulldozer in full body armor and an M-16 by his side. He then went to the Korea DMZ as part of a RED HORSE unit (Rapid Expeditionary Deployment - Heavy Operations & Remote Site Engineering. You can imagine what they had to do. Had to be ready to board a plane, with their equip, on a moments notice, and when they got back, he couldn't tell you where they had been), just when that idiot dictator decided he was going to threaten a nuclear war with the US.

Garin1, I know the stress the Mom goes through when that stuff happens. The filling out the will of your 19 year old son, with me as executor, before he left from Minot AFB, and the unopened letter that I was supposed to open if I did not receive some signal from him for three consecutive days, was extraordinarily unnerving to his mother. Lack of sleep and a lot of tears was the norm for a long time.

Dad's don't really have those same feelings. I swelled up with pride just thinking, and talking, of my son serving his country. While I was concerned for his safety, I put him in God's hands, and I knew it would be alright. We just have different feelings, I believe it much easier for Dad's to do that because of the way they are "wired".

When the war started, Derek called me on a secure line (although he actually claimed there was no such thing, so we still had to limit our time on the phone and be very careful what we said) to discuss his volunteering for a certain Middle East mission that he obviously couldn't detail to me. He asked me what I truly thought. I told him that he would have to reach his own decision based on all the information he could gather from individuals who had experienced this type of a mission, and that I would never take the responsibility for making a decision like this for my son. I then told him that I personally have experienced WAY more people in my life that were sorry they did not go for something, as compared to running into people that proclaimed they were sorry that they DID take a calculated risk on something in their life. He hung up and immediately notified his commanding officer that he would go.

I have never told his mother this and she won't read this. If she does, it's been some time now, Derek is home safe and sound, and it might go easier for me. Some things in life a better left not said... I strongly believe it was the right counsel to give my son. I was at peace in my heart when his mother and I realized, through a series of clues and signals, that he had shipped out - so I know it was right.

Gary, congratulations on having a son that served his country with exceptional valor. I have faith that you will be joining him soon.

I also strongly believe that when a son or daughter stands on that platform to receive that medal, that Mom should be right beside him, or her, and receive her own medal and accolades for her incredible sacrifice that she made for her country by allowing her child to be put in harms way, for the sake of the liberty and the freedoms we all enjoy - and sometimes take for granted - in this country. My hat goes off to your wife, Gary. She also is a true hero. In your case, your wife also has her husband in harms way. I have the utmost admiration for the incredible strength and courage that this demonstrates.

Sorry about this long post, I just feel very strongly about this. I don't believe it can be over-emphasized.

Northstar · 02-21-2006, 06:37 PM

I think Dave said it all. We really need to support our troops in harm's, way. Having served a tour of duty in Republic of Viet Nam, I know what our troops go thru. I also have a daughter who served a tour in the middle east. I am one proud Father. And very happy upon her return safe and sound.

Garin1 · 02-21-2006, 07:44 PM

Wow,, that was quite a response

. We were not expecting anything like that. Just wanted to relay some good news. Now I am blushing

. Thank you so very much for your support. You are all wonderful people and I look forward to traveling the great USA again and meeting all of you. If you don't mind a moment of selfish pride, I will try to post a pic of Billy and I together at my Embassy in Iraq

.

Edited to make the picture fit the guidelines. Edited with Irfanview to 640x480 filesize 33k. Url at tinypic is http://i1.tinypic.com/oa9fnn.jpg

Garin1 · 02-21-2006, 07:46 PM

Drat,,,

, sorry,, I don't know how to make the picture smaller. Anyone can help with that?

Sunshine · 02-22-2006, 04:16 AM

That is wonderful news. Thank you and your son for your service to our country. We appreciate you more than words can say.

HomeOnTheRoad · 02-22-2006, 04:16 AM

You can downsize it with irfanview, which is free at www.irfanview.com . For now I'll see if I can fix it for you but would appreciate you trying to downsize it yourself next time. Forum guidelines are no larger than 640x480 and file size no larger than 60k with 90k maximum ok if you just can't fit it in 60k. Thanks.

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