Dusty got news...

[Irishmaam]

Marion I didnt know they were going to do this. Our priest called me and asked if I had any photos of the boys in their uniforms and if so could I email them to him, and he asked if i could tell him a little of what they were currently doing. He said he wanted to try and put something together about the troops from our community for Memorial Day I thought he was doing something to read at the mass and would bementioning all the troops during mass. When we walked into church he greeted us and handed my husband the bulliten (cant spell that one) and Donny says thanks I will read it during mass making a joke...he opens it and I looked over and see their photos and prettty much was in tears the entire mass. I couldnt even read it then i waited until we got home. So long story short yes i was completley taken aback. It made me so proud, and so sad at the same time cuz I miss them so much. Its just so bittersweet some days.. Thank you for the kind words for my boys Hugs at ya Cindy

[Irishmaam]

As you know I was off to Georgia to see Dusty for hos first pass and it was priceless from start to finish He had some really good well deserved sleep today and I just sat and watched him snoring and for me there is nothing sweeter than sitting back and seeing one of the boys sleeping very sound , and safe. We had such a great time together. And as silly as it may sound , the chance to watch his sleeping time is so precious to me. I breathe much easier when I can sit back and see him safe at sleep. I would give anything to see the other baby boy snoozing. Its one of those things you take for granted until you dont have the opportunity anymore.

 

Oh I have to tell you it was such Schmit day.. Taylor was able to call from over there and talk to Dusty & I. It was such a treasured time for them. There were lots of laughs & lots of tears on both ends of the line. They make me so very proud. Mostly because they have such a great love for each other and it shows when we have one of these rare gifts like we had with them being able to be together for a moment. I have to say it was difficult for me and this has been an emotional roller coaster this weekend.First seeing Dusty in his uniform with that wonderful I did it Mom look, to picking up the phone and hearing Tay on the other end, and seeing the look on Dustys face when he realized who it was on the other end, to the guys telling me what an inspiration & a guy you can count on, "Uncle Dusty" is for them how when some dont seem to be able to carry on they will look up and see Dusty lugging 2 rucksaks & 4 rifles ...to Dusty running out in the hallway telling all hey my baby brother just called from Iraq!!! and again seeing the pride in family.. You can hear it and see it. What a gift I have been given. He had told me he did very well in land navigation & I have to say it came in so hndy when I had us so lost at Benning that I and his buddy were almost in tears in the fear they would be late getting back from pass...but from the middle of the deep woods of Ft Benning he managed to keep his head on straight and got us back in time. . I came back from dropping Dusty off after his pass feeling so much pride I thought I would burst, to feeling more lost han I have ever felt . I walked into the hotel lobby full of teenage girls from a softball team and their families who were in GA for a tournament having the time of their lives and I wondered if they knew how much sacrifice goes on each day so they can be in such celebration over softball and such. and I realized they were probably like a lot of America, they dont realize because they dont have to . I do because I have to. All said I am very lonley for days gone by, and so full of pride knowing it will be better one day & it will balance out, and I will be somewhere having the time of my life, with those baby boys of mine in tow...

[Irishmaam]

I am back from seeing Dusty. It was just what my heart needed to see him. He has actually gained weight, and has a great amount of pride in the hard work they have been going. He has gone through a lot ot get to this point. He was having a little trpuvle with the sit ups so he worked on them every night extra and it worked out but in the meantime he wore a nice hole at the bottom of his tailbone. Then they had a bivouc and rolling around int he woods for a few days & crawling under barbedwire he managed to get wuite a few little cuts & such. Well they werent attendedto and the day they did their final pt test the sore on his butt broke open and started bleeding then he looks and has a red streak running up his arm . He showed his DS and he told him to stop being a ****** and fnish his test so another DS comes over when he sees blood running out from under him looks at his arm and the streak and told him get to sick call NOW! He said I have to finsih thei PT test and he said you do it after go now. So he did and all the little cuts he had and the hole in his rear had become so infected he has blood poisining.But they called it systemic something. They told him if he had waited it would have been fatal.. So he spent the next 2 days going to sick call to make sure the antibiotics were working. I would like to give the DS who made him got to sick call a big smooch and the DS that called him a ***** a kick in his rear to be mild with the language. He said he knew something was wrong because they has a simle road march and he all of a sudden felt real funny (it was 107 degrees) so he thought it was theheat but he said Mom I always stay hydrated and do all you need to do not to have heat injury, and he said the next thing he knew he was n the ground and they were tearing his shirt off and dumping gallons of ice water down his drawers!!! He said his body temp was 102, That should have been a signal for the DS but he seeems ot be one hard nose instructors , Its a ahme because they actually had a young recruit die from heat stroke the week before. You would think they would be a little more careful.

He is fine now the antibiotics are working fine. He has done really well. He is the 2nd Grenadier, and he did expert in the grenade launcher gun. I would be in trouble for not remembering what the weapon is really called but I dont ..It was so nice to hear very nice things about him from his peers. They call him Uncle Dusty because he is 26 and one of the older guys in the platoon. They all look up to him and he looks after them. Their squad leader told me that I should be very proud of him that he is the guy they can all go to when they need help. He said "I cant tell you how many times I have looked back and see him during a road march carrying 2 ruck sacks and 4 rifles. He said Dusty will leave no one behind , he will carry their load if they are struggling with a road march . He said thats what he does he just refuses to leave someone behind" Oh my it made my heart so full of joy.We also had a wonderful surprise for Dusty I let his brother know when we would be on his leave and he called from Iraq. So the brothers got to talk for quite a while. It was wonderful and such a gift that I will never forget. The look on his face when I said oh you have a call and handed him the phone... it was indeed priceless. There were some tears, and a lot of your company are a bunch of sissies and my weapon is better than yours but in the end it was be careful brother I will be there soon.. It was a very mixed emotions time for all of us. We also had to let the cat out of the bag as far as Taylors actual missions over there. I knew but was keepong a lot to myself and Dusty knew but the rest fo my fmily was a little in the dark. To lessen their worry. But a newsletter came out and it was pretty specific about things. So I had to be honest with the folks here at home. He is a crew gunner on the humvee they use and they dont stay in the airport like he said I wont go into a lot of detail but its much more than he wanted people at home to know. He was actually very upset with the newsletter. He said I know I wasnt the only one who wasnt telling their family everything and they just made it a lot harder for the ones who werent. I knew a long time ago even before the newsletter, but I kept it to myself & my Dad, because there have been days I have been so frightened I needed a confidant that I could go to. My Dad has been such a blessing through this. So all in all this has been a wonderful time for me getting to talk to both of the boys and seeing such pride in both of them for the other. I know I did my job as a mother raising them to love one another and take pride in what they do and in each other. Well now I have written a novel about my sons so I will move on I dont want to be the relative that brings home movies and everyone scatters when they see you coming

[texas38]

Oh, Cindy, common sense told me that anyone serving in Iraq was not on a picnic but hearing that Taylor is stationed at that damn airport and driving that damn airport road makes my hair stand on end. Okay, so I'll just cross my toes as well as all my fingers and say an extra prayer for him. As a mother, you have every right to be proud of your boys - they have really turned out to be good men. We share in your joy of them because they represent the finest of our country in these very trying times. Take heart and know that all of us on this board are pulling for you and for them.

 

Marilyn