Veterans Day - 2013 - A Poem Remembering

Adam - Meal after Mike's Last Walk

Adam Dickmyer was killed three years ago - the first casualty of the wars who we knew - the first military funeral we have attended - experienced the sad expression on a widow's face. Times to remember. We have been a military family for ten years: one son an Army Veteran, a second a deployed Navy pilot. I assume there are ways parents are affected by their Veteran children's responses to the conflicts caused by our broken world. Adam's death sent our family into a journey we hadn't expected - our Veteran son was safe his time in the Army - so we thought. A year ago was a period with months added to months of times before, and times of months since, that have consumed our thoughts - the consequences of military conflicts that may not be seen, may not be so obvious as the final losses of ultimate sacrifices.

Veterans Day 2013 – A Poem Remembering

The evening paper in its plastic sleeve rests on the driveway concrete,

Touching the grass lawn skirt at the edge.

It’s 2:00 AM, February 1.

I had just driven home from the airport –

A short, two-night business trip to cold St. Paul,

And now home – the house is empty.

The paper lying there was a novelty –

Knowing she wouldn’t be home for a while –

My wife put on a delivery hold starting December 10.

With all that was planned in the upcoming weeks,

And the unknowns:

Navy Winging Ceremony in Corpus Christi,

A granddaughter’s birthday,
And a month later a grandson’s, too,
Christmas in Oregon,

All my comings and goings for work travel,

Uncertainties, our Army Veteran son

Set up with a new psychiatrist –

Our frail hopes already worn thin the past two years,

His frail hopes worn far worse than ours’– close to being gone;

At that time, the beginning of February

Seemed far enough out to resume delivery.

She comes home tomorrow night.

It’s been a long time since we sat together in our house,

Reading the paper.

February 3, 2012 
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April 21, 2015. It was not acknowledged by The Veterans Administration that our son was suffering from a service-related condition until the end of May 2014. 

Procession - Memorial Day 2012

 

Procession

The pavement passes underneath our feet,

Along with patches and blankets of leaves.

We walk, following Staff Sergeant Adam Dickmyer,

Carried away from the chapel –
A winding funeral procession.

The colors of the red stripes and blue field of stars,

Always clear to see – always far ahead.

The sounds of the drum cadence, 

The songs the band plays –

Muffled, not much louder than the wind

Blowing through the trees.

The soldier’s wife, at the arm of her escort.

For all the times visiting Arlington,

Never having walked the length of the cemetery,

The peacefulness of the place was palpable.

Emotions changed often, 

As the rising and falling hills and swales. 

To the sides, rows of tombstones,

Walking beside histories

Recorded on white marble.

As if in a dream, ahead are the Stars and Stripes.

An undulating sea of dark blue uniforms, 

Trimmed with red and gold.

Bobbing covered heads, 

Most with short-cropped hair.

Coveted blue shoulder braids – the Infantry –

Many a Tomb Guard Badge fixed to right pockets.

Young men's faces looking straight ahead.

Horses drew the caisson to Section 60 –

The resting places for those who gave their lives 

The last nine years.

Now the Casket Team bears its honor – 

their former commander.

Standing close, shoulder-to-shoulder, 

Many sergeants,

The Old Guard, 

Infantrymen, 

Buglers and drummers,

Young and old, different home towns,

At the grave, showing their last respects,

Giving their support –

All brothers, all soldiers.

Distant observers

Volunteer Patriot Guard Riders in their ranks,

Stand watch at a distance,

Showing respect for fallen heroes,

Shielding grieving families from disruptions,

Some from North Carolina,

Adam's home state.

The flag folded,
Twenty-one gun salute fired,
The sound of the lone bugler's taps faded away,
All the solemn on-lookers have dispersed.
The young widow, now alone.

The widow's escort, still standing watch – 

A two star general,
So high a rank for an enlisted soldier, honored.

Where the living stand among the fallen.

The headstones here blend into the rest,

From all our Nation's wars –

Lines of tombstones in the distance,

Marking 300,000 graves across 600 acres,
But this one acre today is the saddest of all.

They walk away after the ceremonies –

150 marched and walked and rode here together,

Now leave at their own pace,
With their dreams, their memories, their thoughts, their fears, their anxiety,

From the place of remembrance for this generation.

A generation of all volunteers,

Like my sons.

Among the many graves that wait,

William Spates.

A former Tomb Guard, like Adam, 

He was killed in Vietnam.

His headstone stands watch

As the sentinel on the Plaza that hour stands his watch –
Walks the mat –

His honor walk for the Unknowns,

As Spates and Adam did in years past.

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Staff Sergeant Adam Dickmyer was killed in Afghanistan October 28, 2010 - he is remembered this Memorial Day. Above are impressions and photographs recorded from Adam's funeral procession at Arlington National Cemetery, November 17, 2010. Previous links remembering Adam can be found by clicking here, and here. Other Memorial Day postings can be found by clicking here, here, and here.

Others like these soldiers walked and worked and lived with those who are remembered in Section 60. Unlike the Veterans of the Vietnam War, they do not have to wait 20 years to have a place to gather and remember their fallen friends. But just as the names inscribed on the wall pile up above your head as you walk down into the earth at the Vietnam Memorial - here the names on the grave markers expand weekly across the acres of green plains and rolling hills of Arlington, in what is called the Field of Honor.

Lost to a War, But Not Unknown

An article about Adam Dickmyer's funeral appeared in the Boston Globe newspaper on November 23. In the article the writer, Kevin Cullen, mentioned the connection of Adam to the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy, and how the the Senator's doctor's nephew - an Army Captain, along with Mrs. Kennedy, attended the funeral. I appreciated what Cullen wrote, so sent him an email last night thanking him. He wrote back today. Below is my note, and his reply - followed by the article - Lost to a war unknown. There are always stories behind the stories - these are no exceptions. (1)
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November 29, 2010

Dear Mr. Cullen,

Thank you for your follow-up article to the funeral of SSG Adam Dickmyer at Arlington National Cemetery. Our son served with Adam for three years at the Tomb of the Unknowns - his loss was close to home for us. I appreciate you mentioning the Army connection to the Kennedy's family through the Senator's physician, as well as Mrs. Kennedy's attendance. You may not know, but another attendee of the funeral was SSG Salvatore Giunta, who the day before was presented the Medal of Honor. My understanding is that the Tomb Guards had helped him shape up his uniform for the presentation at the White House, and later the day of the funeral, his induction into the DoD Hall of Honor at the Pentagon - he walked unnoticed with the mourners from the chapel to the Section 60.

There are many ways that those in the military support one another. Thank you for your support of our troops through good articles such as you wrote about Adam.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Steiner
Annapolis, MD
________________________
November 30, 2010

Thanks.
Dr. Ronan called me when his nephew told him about Adam being KIA.
He asked me to write something to recognize Adam, and I'm glad I did
because it reached a lot of people, and Adam was, like so many of our
people in the military, the best of us.

Cheers
________________________
Lost to a war unknown
By Kevin Cullen
Globe Columnist / November 23, 2010

For six years, Army Staff Sergeant Adam Dickmyer was a “sentinel,’’ one of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

He was one of the elite Old Guard, the select soldiers who, in rotation, bear silent witness every minute of every day, in all kinds of weather, honoring the unknown soldiers who died on foreign battlefields.

It was something he took seriously.
 

Dickmyer spoke to Robert Poole for Poole’s book, “On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery,’’ which was published last year. He explained the Old Guard’s mission with a poignant simplicity.
 

“We want the guys who sacrificed everything to know that they are still remembered, that someone still cares,’’ he said.
 

Sometimes, his duties took him away from Arlington. Dickmyer was lead pallbearer for Senator Ted Kennedy last year. He was with the casket every step of the way, from Hyannis Port to the Kennedy library to the Mission Church. Tens of thousands of people from Massachusetts and beyond would have seen Dickmyer or passed close to him, but they wouldn’t have known who he was.

Hundreds of thousands would have watched him over the years at the Tomb of the Unknowns as he faced the tomb for 21 seconds then marched 21 steps, a ceremony of remembrance practiced over and over again. But none of those tourists would have known his name.
 

Dickmyer was part of one of the most distinguished units in the Army. Less than 20 percent who try out make the Old Guard. Still, he volunteered for combat duty, leaving the Old Guard for the Second Battalion of the 502d Infantry Regiment, Second Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. In June, his unit arrived in Afghanistan for a yearlong deployment. On Oct. 28, Dickmyer dismounted from his armored vehicle and was on foot patrol in Kandahar when a hidden bomb exploded, killing him. He was 26.
 

He was just the third sentinel killed in action. Two others, Staff Sergeant William Spates Jr. and Sergeant Marvin Franklin, were killed in Vietnam.
 

Dickmyer was the first of five soldiers out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky to be killed in Afghanistan in five days. The day after he died, Specialist Pedro Maldonado, 20, was killed by grenades and gunfire. A day later, Specialist Brett Land, 24, was killed, like Dickmyer, by an IED.
 

Four days after Dickmyer was killed, a guy on a motorcycle drove up to the Second Brigade’s base. Specialist Jonathan Curtis, 24, a great kid who grew up in Belmont, and Private First Class Andrew Meari, 21, were on guard duty and stopped the motorcycle, preventing it from entering the base. In doing so, they saved many lives, but lost their own when the guy on the motorcycle detonated the explosives he was wearing.
 

The war in Afghanistan is the ultimate war of the unknown soldier. So few Americans have their own flesh and blood in harm’s way. So few think of the war on a daily basis. The war trundles on, unknown to so many.
 

They remembered Jonathan Curtis in Belmont Sunday, and last week they remembered Adam Dickmyer, the face of the unknowns, who had been seen by so many and known by so few, at the cemetery where he stood in silent witness before he went off to war. Dickmyer’s cortège was escorted by Army Captain Mark Boyle, whose uncle, Larry Ronan, was Ted Kennedy’s doctor. Ted Kennedy’s widow, Vicki, was there, too, as Dickmyer’s widow, Melinda, accepted a tightly folded flag.
 

“It is he who commands the respect I protect, his bravery that made us so proud,’’ the sentinel’s creed reads. “Surrounded by well-meaning crowds by day, alone in the thoughtful peace of night, this soldier will in honored glory rest under my eternal vigilance.’’
 

Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at cullen@globe.com.
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(1) Rex Looney has posted photographs from the day of the funeral on his Flicker site, as a part of the memorial portfolio to Adam. No doubt there are more stories behind these photographs - beyond the captions that Rex provides. A personal photographic narrative account of the impressions from participating in a funeral procession can be found by clicking here.

Thought You Should Know

We got an email today from our son letting us know that one of the soldiers he served with for three years at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery was killed in Afghanistan on Thursday, October 28 - "Thought you should know" was the title line. Yesterday
there was a short report on the NPR Morning Edition radio program about a memorial service held earlier in the week in Afghanistan for another soldier in the 101 Airborne Division who was recently killed. I make a point not to tune out reports of casualties - to stare at the reality, and try not to become callous. When checking the Corvallis news earlier in the week, I also saw that a Marine from nearby Albany had recently been killed. A few months ago I happened on a report in the Los Angeles Times that showed a picture of a father holding his son's Army photograph after learning of his son's death - I knew the father from high school. All of these reports touch me - sons of former classmates, soldiers from

towns or states where we have once lived, loved ones of old friends who go to former churches we attended, and most recently - graduates of the Naval Academy. But this is the first time someone I have met has been killed in war - closer still since our son,  Badge 536, had worked with him. The news about Staff Sergeant Adam Dickmyer, Badge 528, is close to home. We had met him several times when visiting the Tomb, and he was the commander of the relief when Mike took his last walk on the Fourth of July three years ago - he ate the meal we brought to the sentinel's quarters to celebrate the end of Mike's 38 month tour.

I read that the family of Staff Sergeant Dickmyer wants to have him buried at Arlington where he served for six years (1). The daily funeral schedules is posted at the bottom of the cemetery's Website homepage. A photographic memorial put together by Rex Looney who regularly photographs life at the Tomb of the Unknowns is found here. The Associated Press has posted a number of photographs of Staff Sergeant Dickmyer when he was received at Dover Air Force Base (2).
________________________
(1) Internment is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17 from 9:00-11:00 AM in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, the service begins at the Memorial Chapel at Fort Myer.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=130725056983236

(2) See an earlier post about the significance of Dover Air Force Base.
________________________

Fort Campbell Soldier on patrol dies after being struck by an IED 

October 30, 2010

Fort Campbell, KY – A 101st Airborne Division Soldier died October 28th, when struck by an improvised explosive device while on dismounted foot patrol in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, of Winston Salem, NC, was an Infantryman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). He joined the Army in October 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2009.

His awards and decorations include:  Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Superior Unit Award; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge and Marksmanship Qualification Expert Badge.

Dickmyer is survived by his wife, Melinda K. Dickmyer of Arlington, VA; father, David Dickmyer of Winston Salem, NC; and mother, Stephanie L. Dickmyer, of New Port Richey, FL.
________________________
Other follow up articles reporting Adam's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery are found at:
Boston Globe
Washington Post and here
Winston-Salem Journal

Memorial Day

ARLINGTON

FIRST CANTO

I saw his name engraved in granite

In the shadow of the ivy covered oak

a long time tenant in that sacred grove

The wind moves now and then through

barren branches

A bird alights sometimes, as if by chance,

It chirps and then flies on

all else is mute

The marble tomb nearby wear night and day

the sentries, stand with steadfast vigilance

it bears no name.

During the changing of the guards

at preset daylight hours

Upon command the sentries spring to life

and to action

They walk with slow, precisely measured steps

clicking their heels at certain intervals

toeing the line invisible

across expanse of marbled ground

presenting arms and slapping rifle

Flawless in execution and procedures

flawless in bearing and attire

one is the perfect mirror to the other

down to the last detail: just so, no more, no less

Their buckles shine, The honor badge is gleaming

The are the heroes of the Old Guard Regiment

Instant obedience and discipline

thus manifest, are but reflections

on inner core of strength, esprit and gallantry

submerging self for Cause and Greater Good.

(attained by very few)

The changing of the guard has been accomplished

The last command has been obeyed

The guard now on duty now enters his station

Stands at attention over the tomb

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

SECOND CANTO

The people come from far, here to these

hallowed hills to witness and be cast

in ceremony. They stand in silence

and they stare with awe,

They think of their solemn thoughts with

somber eyes,

Transported by the mesmerizing ritual into

the Presence of a Greater Truth and Order

and brushed by the gentle wings of Destiny,

they seem to hear faint echoes stirring

from the vault of sky and time

evoking visions in their souls and puzzling

memories of what? from where?

Thus paying tribute to the One Unknown

(and with him to the many like him

whose burial mounds and crosses are

stretching far below The Tomb)

They sense that he who sacrificed his life

Decades ago nay centuries was

Now exalted.

(and with him the many like him)

exalting Gallantry and Honor, Honor and Valor.

Spectators in this Shifting scene on

Patriotic state, the people leave

Reluctantly, the Nations Shrine still Pondering.

They wander down the soddy path

They speak in muffled tones, shuffling

Their feet before they exit slowly

Through the Outer Arch.

THIRD CANTO

I saw his name engraved in granite

enlaced with ivy from the nearby tree

I plucked a spring of living ivy

And took it home with me

planted in a pot of earth

upon my window sill

the climbing vine has taken root

and it is greening still

Your body may be buried

you may be long since gone

but cherished memories of you

and your name lives on.

I stepped out of my cabin door

and looked up at the sky

I saw a golden eagle soar

I heard the eagle cry

The eagle soared into the sun

and was soon lost from view

The spirit of the unknown one and you.

FOURTH CANTO

Down through the corridor of Time

The eagle sounds its piercing cry

keening over all the fields

where the fallen warriors lie.

Their tattered uniforms and bones

have Mildered in their narrow grave

White crosses bear a name and date

so young and all so brave.

Through countless wars in global spots

they fought in air, on land and sea

They paid the price, they gave their life

so others could be free.

They fought chaotic battles

To victory or defeat

and now they lie in long, long rows

orderly and neat...

A bugle in sunsets glow

is sounding Taps from far away

Soon now the winds of night will blow

And tomorrow is another day.

EPILOGUE

The Stars and Stripes wave on the ridge

High above Arlington Bridge

in between are stretched the grounds

with all of its heroes earthen mounds

From up high the spirits chide

Forever shall our Flag abide

In Freedom Honor – Valor

by Ruth Mariott (1)
______________________________

The Sentinel's Last Walk

Millions of visitors to Arlington National Cemetery view the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A ceremony that is seen but by a select few is the Last Walk of a Sentinel. Only fellow Tomb Guards, family, and close friends may attend the last tribute by a sentinel to the Unknowns when the guard has finished his tour of duty at the Tomb. The final ceremony to honor the Unknowns then takes place after the last Changing of the Guard for the day. The guard takes his last walk - has he has hundreds of times before - walks towards and enters the plaza (a), is inspected one last time to ensure the uniform is perfect (b) - perfection is all that can be offered back to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, walks onto the mat in perfectly prepared shoes (c), walks the exact 21 paces in each direction, pauses exactly 21 seconds after each change in direction, and finally passes on his orders to the next guard for the last time (d). After exiting the plaza and returning to the quarters below the plaza, the guard returns with an armful of roses (e) while a bugler stands and watches and waits (f) - roses instead of a rifle, one each for each of the Unknowns (g) - and gently places one at each resting place, followed by a salute. After placing the last rose, there is a final salute while taps is played a last time (h). The sentinel then exits the plaza and walks for the last time back to the quarters below (i), with all attending standing in perfect silence, watching, knowing the guard's service at the Tomb is complete - having done what his country had asked him to do, ended by a final tribute to those who not only gave their lives for their country, but who also gave up their identity.
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(1) Ruth Mariott, author of the poem "Arlington" passed away on July 11, 1997, shortly after learning that her poem had been published in the Congressional Record after it was read by Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. She received a military funeral with the Old Guard rendering honors. Adapted from information given at the Website: http://www.reddok.com/KC130/arlington.htm

Seven Years Ago Today

It was seven years ago today that I got an email at work from my wife, "Mike phoned home, said he joined the Army, call me." I stood shocked looking at the screen - my knees may have buckled. I called right away, "April Fools, he got us good, didn't he."(1) Was I relieved, and went back to my work.

On the drive home, I had a chance to think - Where did that come from?

The next night, I am sitting in my chair and the phone rings - it's Mike, "Dad, I really do want to join the Army. Can we talk?"

Thursday the 3rd, we are sitting at the table eating dinner and I am asking, "Why not the Navy, or the Air Force?"

"I want to do something significant with my life. I want to be up front."

"They will tell you what to do."

"It's for a purpose, Dad."

It may as well been an Army recruiting commercial on Super Bowl Sunday.
_____________________________

Mike reported for duty on September 11, 2003. On November 14 I flew to Atlanta and drove to Fort Benning for the Family Weekend Visit, the first time the recruits were able to have a night away from Basic Training. Following is a copy of the notes I kept for the weekend.

Visiting Michael at Ft. Benning
November 15 and 16, 2003

I was able to pick Michael out of the crowd when the couple sitting next to me said the 2nd Platoon was marching.

When I first walked up to him he had a really big smile. I shook his hand and then asked if I could hug him. We had a big hug. I kissed him, too, and was a little bit emotional.

Mike explained everything about his M-16. I didn’t have the record button pushed correctly on the video camera, so didn’t get it taped!

Mike’s friend “Smiley” Slaney from Seattle came up and introduced himself along with a fellow named Perez from Puerto Rico.

Captain Paul, First Sergeant ______, and Drill Sergeant ______ gave a briefing in the classroom while we waited for the soldiers to change from their fatigues into their Class A dress uniforms. Also saw a brief video about the Infantry.

After final instructions, Mike was released for leave and we went out to Grand Cherokee. Mike said sometime he would like to have one for himself. (2)

We went back to the Holiday Inn in Columbus to stow his bag.

We went to Ranger Joe’s to get Mike PV2 chevrons put on his sleeves – he didn’t have time to do that since getting his dress uniform. This was important for him to get done. Mike was proud of his uniform and talked about the different kinds of cords he would have: Infantry, Old Guard when he completed the different training phases. He is looking forward to getting his Blue Infantry cord when he graduates, doesn’t feel his uniform will be complete until then. We looked at the different uniform patches that identified which division or group you were with. We found the Old Guard patch with the Washington Monument on it.

We went to Outback Steakhouse for “lunch” at 3:00 PM. We had cheese fries for a snack, and then Mike had pasta with chicken and shrimp. He drank three big glasses of sweetened tea. No room for desert. The First Sergeant had told the families to make sure their soldier didn’t eat their steak in three minutes! Mike had no difficulty eating slowly and talking about all aspects of what he has been experiencing.

I thought it was significant that Mike said if he hadn’t been offered Old Guard he would have regretted not taking Airborne medic training since he would have then only be airborne infantry. He has learned a lot about what kind of environment and kind of people he wants be with. He talked a lot about how he really likes the discipline of the Army and is looking forward to the professionalism of the Old Guard, its rigors.

We didn’t eat supper since we had a big late lunch, but Mike remarked how he was used to eating three big meals a day. He described how much he eats for breakfast. Also mentioned how it seems that when they don’t get much sleep, they seem to get to eat more.

Mike said he doesn’t have a lot of patience for the guys that get upset with the Drill Sergeants being they way they are and why they make them do things they way they want them done. Mike just accepts the Army system for the way it is.

We went to see the movie Runaway Jury. Mike picked it out with the other best choice being the murder mystery with Denzel Washington.

After the movie we went back to the Holiday Inn. Mike made calls talking to Grandpa Imbach and Erinn.

There were a lot of soldiers and college students around. There was a home college football game in town. The people in the room next door we up and making a lot of noise until after 3:00 AM. Mike slept through the whole thing!

We got up Sunday morning around 8:30. Mike had said the Sunday before that he didn’t want to “sleep in” a long time. He took a regular fast shower. Mentioned that he can get away shaving every-other day, but has to use shaving cream then that slows things down a lot. A lot of what he does is to try to save time here and there. There just isn’t a lot of time for him, so time is all-important.

We went to Denny’s after looking all around for a restaurant for breakfast - it turned out that there are a lot of choices on the north end of town farthest away from Fort Benning. Mike had a big scramble dish, with a side of pancakes, and three large glasses of orange juice. The waitress Carol let us plug in the video camera to get it charged while we were in the restaurant. A couple of customers waiting commented/asked if Mike was on his mid training leave. One was a nice fellow who was finishing up Officer’s Candidate School training -a really nice fellow, looks like he would be real quality officer material, was there with his girlfriend/fiancée, noticed that they prayed before their meal.

After breakfast we went back to Ranger Joe’s for a little more looking around and shopping. We then drove onto the base to go to the PX. Mike showed his ID each time we passed a security check. Mike did a lot of filming of the base and describing the sights. It should be good. We then went to Sand Hill and filmed his entire world there. Also went to the Infantry Museum. Along the way to that we drove by the Officer and NCO housing of the type that was shown in the movie “We were soldiers”.(3) Reading some of the memorial monuments outside the museum was a little emotional for me.

Mike talked about how he has learned he needs not to get all excited about what he is going to do in the future because in the past he gets so over board that he then runs cold. Now he is going one day at a time, one step at a time. He wants to be the best he can be and will take it as each opportunity comes along.

Mike told me how he had signed up for the Montgomery GI Bill for college. $100 per month for the first year and then he is vested in it. He said he didn’t do this when he was processed in Portland, but when processed at Ft. Benning again, he thought it was a good deal. He said that it is able to be used by his family (wife, kids later on, too). I told him that Bill Constadt was really concerned that he signs up for it. He also signed up for the life insurance offered by the Army ($16 per month), though he doesn’t like the idea of setting a price for his life.

Mike told me the story about the details of his pneumonia episode.

He has been a squad leader for about as long as any one has been to this point. The Drill Sergeants are now putting in specific guys that show leadership ability, and not by random choice.

He had a guy really angry with him Friday evening and it got close to a fight, but Mike said he kept his cool. His squad is still problematic, can’t stay focused for more than a few hours at a time. He and the rest of the squad leaders and the platoon leader got smoked the other day, and the guys in the platoon were in line for a few hours, but then lost focus, again.

Mike really likes the Army. He doesn’t know, but may make a career of it. The idea of getting in 20 years and retiring by age 39 appeals to him.

He can go into detail about all of the weapons systems they use.

Said he would want to be in a position of leadership when it counts because he sees the importance of who ever is in charge knowing what they are doing or you would get killed. They did an exercise in the field and were flanked by two guys and Mike was “killed” and he knew they were going to get it because the squad leader wasn’t using good tactics.

We went to dinner on Sunday at O’Charley’s on the north end of Columbus, in the same area as the Cinemaplex. Mike had a big hamburger, fries, and pink lemonade. We called Grandma and Grandpa Steiner before we went in, but the cell phone lost its charge. We charged it while we were in the restaurant. Called Grandma back after dinner. Mike also called Dan and Anna, and then Brian. All together, he called Erinn a couple of times, along with all the calls to Mom. He called Brian Shreeve from the car before 7:00 PM when we were back near his barracks.

Mike told about getting smoked for not following a procedure properly because his Drill Sergeant give contradictory orders to the weapon’s procedures. He still liked getting all sweaty doing the push ups and was satisfied with how well he takes it from the drill sergeants when getting dressed down. In general, Mike is satisfied with how he keeps his cool.

Mike also enjoys observing all the different kinds of people and how they do what they do.

Also, he is impressed with all the different kinds of hair styles that Afro-American women have. He never saw anything like that in Corvallis! The general cultural differences in the South are of interest to him.

We talked a little bit about some perspectives for why the Drill Sergeants do what they do: He mentioned how the DS’s asking and then making a lot of fun of the guys who were having family visiting for the leave. I said that they probably did this because they didn’t want the guys who didn’t have family coming to not feel too bad. Told him how Sr. Drill Sergeant had told us at the family briefing that the reason they don’t want cookies sent is because in this kind of climate in the south, there would be ants and cockroaches all over the place if all the soldiers had food in their lockers. I told him about the Marine book mentioning how recruits who received letters were punished with push ups to equalize it for the guys that didn’t get mail. Mike later mentioned to Dan about my perspectives being helpful for him understanding the DS's more.
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(1) Jan was in California April 1, 2010. I text'd her today, repeating the same message she emailed me seven years before - it caught her off guard now, as her message did me the same.

(2) This came true - he bought one after reporting to Fort McNair after Airborne School at Fort Benning. He still drives a Grand Cherokee, though a newer model.

(3) Every spring and autumn we have a neighborhood clean-up at the entrance to our subdivision. One of the regulars there is George who is a retired Army Colonel. Over a couple of seasons' clean ups, I found out that he was at la Drang Valley on November 14, 1965. He later was a consultant for the movie We Were Soldiers, and last year attended President Obama's Inauguration as a guest of one of our state's U.S. Senators. His mother was also in the 1965 Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C., while he was a soldier stationed at Fort Myer.