**The photos aren't in chronological order because I tried to sort them, lost my temper, swore, & decided it wasn't worth the frustration :)**
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| The backstory: The Husband sends me an email with some German reporter's email address and asks that I email him for the pictures he took of their latest mission. I send email to German reporter. He responds with "Yes, I have the pictures, but are you aware of the events of the day? I don't want to upset you with the pictures." Hmmm. I email The Husband and he says "Oh, yah, we got hit by a VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device) that day and he's got picture of it I think." Great. Send email back to German Reporter that says "Yah, so we've been doing this for a year at this point, we've lost Soldiers, it's been rough, but I crave pictures of his life. Good parts and bad. I need to see him. I need to see him doing what he's doing. I need to know that he's doing what he loves." The reporter send the pictures with a note about how fearless The Husband is and how he's one of the greatest Leaders he's ever met. This picture was included. After deployment, the Husband explained that the reporter didn't want to wear protective gear and they told him that was a stupid decision, but they had to go. Out and about they find themselves taking enemy fire and as they're trying to figure out which rooftop the fire is coming from, the Husband hears a cardboard box panting and freaking out next to him. The reporter is hiding in the cardboard box (that's whats in the upper left hand corner of the picture). |
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| The Day He Left--Oct 25, 2006 |
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| Leaving for Iraq after R&R, knowing that upon his return he'd be a Platoon Leader and running missions more, though no idea that he'd be running the amount of missions he actually did. |
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| The first picture he sent me of him from Iraq. Years later, I would learn that this was a celebratory cigar given to him by the helicopter crew, for an event that he only discusses in doctor appointments |
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| This picture hung in our living room while he was gone. He sent this to me with a note about how the kids are so excited to see them and they jump and wave every time they go by and it reminds him of our kids. This picture became my "why we do what we do" reminder. I often wonder about this girl and her family. |
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The guys he'd give his life for, also known as a Platoon
1st Platoon, Delta Company, 2/7 Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division |
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| The first picture of him after arrival in Kuwait |
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| They found humor where they could |
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| So excited when Thing 2 knew who he was |
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| The end. |
These are the pictures that he shared with me. There are hundreds of pictures that he won't share with me. Pictures of what war truly is. What the cost of war is. What his life was for those 14 months.
These pictures are the glossed over, suitable for distribution side of war.
These pictures are the Operation Iraqi Freedom he wants me to know.
There's an article written by a journalist who was embedded with the unit towards the beginning of their deployment that still makes me cry every time I read it. But it's a
great explanation of their mission and what they did and how they got through
one of their worst moments of the 14 month deployment.
And it makes me appreciate these glossed over, suitable for distribution pictures.
10 years later hindsight is always 20/20 and I have no idea if he'd do it all over again. I do know that Iraq changed our lives, for the better, for the worse, and for the whatever.
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