This Weekend

The past 2 weeks, and especially the past 2 days have been the most emotionally and physically taxing weeks that I have ever experienced. I just hate funerals, especially military funerals, and I've been to two in the past 2 days. Two funerals with full military honors for two of mine and Blaze's close friends. Owens' service was very uplifting. There were tears of mourning at the beginning, tears of laughter at the end. Andrew's funeral was more somber. His old high school football team showed up, as well as the coaches. In addition to that, I watched a very good friend of mine sob as she was handed her young husband's flag and taps was played. I hate this war, I want our guys home. I don't want to lose any more friends, any more brothers or sisters.

Heather seems to be doing okay considering the situation. She's obviously had a hard time. She and Andrew are both 21 and have been married for 2 years; now she's a widow. I don't know if you can call it fortunate or unfortunate that she and Andrew never had kids, but they didn't. They did so much for Blaze and I when we were first married. We lived with them for 3 months until we got on our feet and got housing at Ft. Drum. They were the first friends I made out there. Owens' was Andrew's best friend. They died at the same time. Hit by an RPG in the same Humvee. As odd as this sounds, I know neither of them would've had it any other way. They were attached at the hip. Owens' could always brighten a room with his smile. He was the funniest guy I've known. :) He was the life of every party and was a regular at Andrew and Heather's house while we lived there.

Unfortunately, as if this wasn't hard enough, some one decided they would give me details of the incident. Out of respect for the 4 soldiers that died that day, I won't give them out here, that, and I know they had a very serious impact on me, and I don't want anyone else to bear that weight on their shoulders. That being said, I was given details that other Army wives were given from their husbands who were the first responders and the "recovery" team. The recovery team had no idea what had happened and was picked to go do their thing, they didn't know until they got to the scene that it was their close friends and coworkers who had died. I'm so worried abotu those guys. They saw their friends in a way that no one should ever have to.

I got another tattoo while down here. Judge if you will, but I like it. It's a star (Andrew loved stars), filled in orange (Owens' and Andrew's favorite color) with a banner across it with 7-20-09 written in it. That's the day that all of this went down. It's in honor of all four soldiers lost that day. Unfortunately I didn't know Pratt or Lightfoot all that well, but I know that Pratt was 20 years old, and Lightfoot was 34. If I'm not mistaken, Lightfoot was due to come home for R&R the next day to finalize the adoption of his wife's children.

I've got to drive back to Arlington now. I really am not ready for this drive. I love u all. Thanks for listening to me talk this out.

Shannon