I personally know many people who are in the military. I have a few family members that have been on multiple tours of duty. In 2006 my uncle was away in Iraq and decided to take his leave the week of my cousin (his son) and my high school graduation. After returning home from the airport my cousin asked if his Dad wanted to take a ride in his new sports car. Still in his Army uniform he said “yes.” They were only gone for about ten minutes when we heard sirens ringing from all directions. A minute later we get a call from my cousin saying, “We were in an accident, meet us at the hospital.” He was going to fast around a corner and caught some dirt and slammed head on into a tree. The car was totaled but both of them were okay. They were pretty banged up. An officer told my uncle that if he had not had on his army boots he probably would have broken both of his legs. It was a very scary experience for my family. We had been worrying about him in a war zone for months but he almost lost his life in a car on the first day back in the United States.
For people who have loved ones away at war they can be constantly worried about how they are doing and if they will come back to them. I am currently reading “Testament of Youth” by Vera Brittain. Unfortunately, for Vera her fiancé Roland didn’t make it back home to her. He died the day he was suppose to come back on leave. It’s sad to think that such a young life was taken when he had so much more ahead of him. However, it’s the sad truth and it happens all the time.
I recently read an article about a false report to a family of a soldier dying in Afghanistan. The father of Staff Sgt. Jesse Jasper received a call from a military support group informing them that their son had been killed. However, they called the wrong family and thus left a family believing that they had lost their son. Thankfully, their son was alive. This was a huge mistake and a horrible thing for a family to have to go through. Yet, many people do get a visit from a military official informing them that they have lost a loved one. I can’t image the pain I would feel if I found out my love one had died at war. No matter if it happened in 1915 or in 2009 the impact it has on the family changes them forever.
eldribri Said:
on October 29, 2009 at 5:45 am
For the family, the false alarm had to have been a bittersweet experience. Imagine you are sitting home one evening, all is seemingly right in the world and the next moment, with the ring of a phone, that all changes. A child that they have spent so much time and affection on was unable to live to old age. No parents should ever have to bury their children. While they soon find out that, in fact, their son is not dead and it was all a mistake this experience must have really made them think. Perhaps before they didn’t realize what danger their son was facing and that his death could be only a phone call away. Now, after experiencing it first hand, I am sure they are acutely aware of that fact. Every time that phone rings is a moment of horror in their eyes. I can’t imagine being so uncertain of something. I personally have no contacts overseas and I am thankful for that because the stress of even having someone over there and constantly worrying for their safety would be unbearable. My heart goes out to those that have to live with this uncertainty; I pray that soon all of America’s soldiers will be returned unscathed.