Greetings,
I know it has been a long time, far too long. However, as I have said in the past if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all. I have simply had nothing to say. For the silence I am sorry. I have had a mulititude of thoughts and feelings since I have been back, but no nice way to say anything Ihave felt. So again silence. For all the well wishers, that have sent blessings, and thanks to me and my fellow soldiers thank you, thank you, thank you! For those who continue to sling mud my way... well (as I shall hold true to my word to Father Bob, I shan't sling it back.) but those bottom births know who you are.
Things in this world, are odd to me now, I am looking for as DJ puts it a grown-up job. But in all honestly I have no idea what it is I really want to do. 2006 did not seem the time for me to run for office, I couldn't in good conscious run for office when the war would be the center of the House elections, so I set my sights on 2008, and adjust the strategum accordingly. So in all honesty I'll start campaigning in early 2007.
MAJ K, and Thunder 6 are well, as are most of the men from the 184th IN. I am no longer an Intelligence Officer, the irony is that I learned the job so well under CPT Conkle, and now I have no desire to ever do it again. Funny how war works out that way. I continue to write (mostly my personal journal) but the flavor life once had is largely gone. I just wake in the morning and thank God (however I percieve him) that I am home with my wife, and that the soldiers I served with are home and alive. I often speak with Demon 6 about our time there and we laugh at some things and grow quiet over others, but it is a strange thing to speak of men I knew in the past tense, again on Memorial day one of the holiest days in my year, to remember the men of the 184th Infantry who did not return with us. Each of us remembers them in our own way. As for me, not a day goes by when I don't think of what we did there, my personal feelings of the war aside... we did some good things in our year there. It is more than just 11 months, 23 days, and 9 hours of my life. It was that most human of experiences, it was what seperated the weekend warrior from the true warrior. It was sobering and awe inspiring to be in the company of such wonderful and deeply human and genuine men. It truly was my honor to serve with them.
RDC
PS; It is not a coincidence that on this day, June 6th I broke my silence, and no it has nothing to do with the number of the beast (please!), it has everything to do with D-Day and how on that day the forces of evil knew that the clock on the wall was doing one thing... Counting down. On June 6th 1944 our world changed, and the men who stormed the beaches at Normandy had no idea how profound an impact they would have on history.
PSS; CPT Snyder of the 506th PIR, is a great officer and a great friend, he is doing great work in Iraq. I am proud to call him friend.
Welcome back. Are you still planning to run for Congress?
(Soccerdad, in a word yes. 2008. The 2006 elections are far too focused on the war (although a real issue) I want to distance myself from who I had to be in war and who I want to be in office; though much of who I am is the same, I'll need to speak on it freely.)
Posted by: soccerdad | June 06, 2006 at 12:44 PM
Good to read your words again. Don't let it be so long next time, okay?!!
Thank you for your service.
Posted by: TheJewelryLady | June 09, 2006 at 12:33 PM
Hey glad your out of your funk. It was good hearing from you, in more ways that just this.
Take Care.
Good luck with the whole grown up job thing.
Tina M.
Posted by: Tina M | June 10, 2006 at 11:00 AM
Really nice to hear from you again, sir. If ya ever need to get a beer, I'm buyin'. God bless you and your family. You've given so much for your country. We owe you big time and are glad to do so.
Posted by: Jeff | June 10, 2006 at 06:05 PM
Hey stranger!
Glad to see you've decided to write a bit.
Even more glad to hear you're doing well and adjusting back to "normal".
Posted by: AFSister | June 14, 2006 at 08:57 AM
Welcome back. May you have the peace of quiet things. The right "grown-up" job will appear in due course. You are still a patriot. Press on.
Posted by: CPT J | June 16, 2006 at 12:05 PM
Rustin,
Welcome back. I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well, my daily fix of news of the men of the 184 was so needing a shot, its good to read you again.
If I haven't said it enough, thank you for your service to our country.
Posted by: David M | July 26, 2006 at 10:57 AM
Bullshit-- you did it to please your father--the King of Hell.
Posted by: Mike (impervious to sniper fire) Geery | August 01, 2006 at 12:54 PM