At Fort Stewart, Georgia, the home of the 3rd Infantry Division, Eastern Redbud trees line the parade grounds to honor fallen soldiers. The pathway is known as Warriors Walk.
One of these trees is dedicated to Private First Class Landon Scott Giles, a Trooper who served in Iraq with the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division in 2005. I served as a Rear Detachment commander for Landon's unit and was present at the ceremony dedicating his tree. Several of Landon's family members attended, including his sister, Jennifer.
Recently, I reached out to Jennifer to see if she was interested in sharing a story about Landon as a way of observing Memorial Day.
Jennifer's story begins by recounting Landon's enlistment in the Army:
The day before Landon was set to leave for basic training he said he wanted to go eat lunch - just the two of us. After lunch he gave me a rock. It was white with gold letters that said "Remember". Landon showed me the one he had bought for himself, black with the same one word in the same gold lettering. He explained he bought them because he knew we were about to be separated by many miles and since deployment was evidently unavoidable we would eventually be separated for the longest amount of time we had ever spent apart.
Landon left for basic training the next day, June 24, 2004. I hugged him goodbye and watched him climb aboard a white van with two other boys. Not one of them looked a day over 15.
During Landon's basic training I met my future husband. Landon tended to be a little protective when it came to me dating. He had never once approved of a boyfriend. He would always say "well, he seems like an alright guy, but not someone I want dating my sister." But, being honest, no one was ever good enough for my little brother either.
I broke the news of my engagement to Landon at his graduation from basic training. He took it well - a lot better than I thought he would. He had a talk with Jason that I wasn't privy to. Jason only ever told me "your brother loves you very much".
Landon and I spent the last couple days before his deployment just being us - hanging out doing nothing really. I met Landon's buddies, and felt I immediately inherited a few more little brothers.
Later that night, I asked Landon if he was scared and he said yes. Landon was being honest and said that he wasn't going to Iraq to be a hero. I told him I already thought he was. Landon was my hero. He expressed that he thought if someone did have to go there and ultimately lose their life it was better if it were someone like him than a guy with a wife and child.
I took Landon back to post and cried all the way to my hotel. We had said everything there was to say, but my heart felt heavy. I felt maybe that I had left something out. So I began to write. I wrote a letter to my brother about all the memories we had gathered and how they would keep me company until we saw each other again to make more.
The next morning, I met Landon where they were assembling to board buses that would take them to the airfield. We took a couple of pictures and laughed and smiled. Then our time was over. I hugged him with everything I had. Landon asked me if I had my rock and winked at me. That's when I handed him the letter. We hugged once more and I watched him walk off and blend in with the other uniforms.
Landon turned 19 on February 1st. I had not heard from him since the morning he deployed, but I finally heard from him on February 13th. Landon was in Kuwait. He had a cold, but felt okay. He had spent his birthday driving in a convoy carrying troops from the airport to where ever they were going. Landon mostly wanted to hear about home. After about an hour, we said our good byes and hung up. That would be the last phone call my brother would ever make.
When my phone rang at about 11:45 P.M. on February 26th I knew it was bad. I knew it was about Landon. It was my grandmother calling. I answered the phone simply, "What's wrong?"
"Landon was killed in Iraq today."
At that moment, part of me was gone forever.
We buried Landon on March 6th. The town of Arkadelphia, Arkansas mourned with us. People lined the streets from the church all the way to the cemetery, waving flags with hands over hearts, veterans saluting as we passed. Soldiers who didn't know us or Landon drove from all over the state to attend his service. I was amazed at the love and support.
When Landon's belongings were shipped home there was a plastic bag with some folded paper in it. I was informed that it had been in his pocket when he was killed. It was the letter I had written him. I unfolded those pages and began to read. And I realized that letter came back to me for a reason. To remind me that those memories would get me through until we meet up again.
I buried Landon's black rock in the pocket of his uniform next to his heart. I have mine and I have my memories. And I will always remember.
- Jennifer Giles Whitworth
According to the Fort Stewart Warriors Walk Home Page, the tree dedicated to Landon Giles was the 61st planted since the beginning of the wars. Today, over 430 trees represent the human cost of the ongoing wars on the 3rd Infantry Division. The parade ground meant for celebratory marches is now a place of mourning and reflection.
Those who have fallen in service to our nation are our greatest heroes. This weekend we remember their service and reflect on their lives with pride.
Private First Class Landon Scott Giles was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. Jennifer Whitworth currently resides in Arkansas where she is pursuing a degree in nursing.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ryan McDermott.
Marine Capt. Stacy Blackburn-Hoelscher and her all-female team in the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade have a unique mission: Reaching out to the women of Afghanistan. (CBS)
Marine Team Military Formed Last Summer Tasked to Gain Intelligence From Afghanistan's Female Population
Marine Capt. Stacy Blackburn-Hoelscher and her all-female team in the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade have a unique mission: Reaching out to the women of Afghanistan.
"We're the first ever that's actually been able to tap into that population," Blackburn-Hoelscher told CBS News Correspondent Mandy Clark. "This culture is pretty sensitive about men talking to their women."...>>>>>
Each year on Memorial Day, tens of thousands of Americans visit Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington to pay tribute to the men and women who died serving the United States.
For people who are unable to make the trip, a new online memorial provides a unique way to honor those service members who have fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The new Google Earth layer, called Map the Fallen, enables the user to pinpoint where, when, and how each service member died since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. A line connects the service member's approximate location of death to his or her hometown.
For those of you who know me best, you know I got involved in the political world because of military and veterans issues. In particular, the way one political party tended to use the military, as if it was an appendage OF the aforementioned political party, really disgusted me. I need not repeat the multitude of instances in which the Republican Party and conservatives in general used the military in this fashion, because it is conventional wisdom. In fact, I am somewhat used to this phenomena, and there has been diminishing returns on outrage for me personally as a result of these actions.
However, today, I was shocked more than I ever was before. In the shadow of another Memorial Day, conservatives and the Republican Party have sunk to a despicable new low. Our Country Deserves Better PAC sent out a Memorial Day missive at the President and the Senate Majority Leader.
I just read this piece, and it's incredibly moving. You don't think much of newspaper reporters as actual people (unless they're on TV all the time), but they are. Mark Berman is the person the Washington Post has assigned to cover funerals at Arlington, when the families of the fallen agree. Today, he has a piece in the Washington Post.:
When I first started, I was worried about bothering the families and concerned that attending so many burials would be a regular date with an emotional battering ram, leaving me either a wreck or, worse, numb to the sadness. Now I know that it's pretty much impossible to grow numb to such events....
The worst, for me, is the children: not the babies, since they have no idea what's going on, but the little ones just old enough to understand death. In their miniature suits or dresses, they stare wide-eyed at all the dark-clad people gazing fixedly at the wooden box.
He goes on to say what we at VoteVets.org said when it comes to the Dover Photo Ban, which was lifted by President Obama and Secretary Gates this year:
I know that feeling, too: If I weren't covering these burials, there's no chance I'd be as aware of them and of news coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan. It's astonishingly easy to block out the ongoing sacrifice. The military's own 18-year ban on media coverage at Dover Air Force Base, which was lifted this year, helped keep the blinders on. The current Dover policy is like the current Arlington policy: It's the family's choice. Relatives can decide whether the world sees their loved one's return. But for 18 years those who sacrificed their lives for their country returned in secret and in silence.
The whole piece is incredibly moving, and well written. If there's one piece you read today, make it this one.
"Hey Friends -- Would you give a dollar to someone who risked their life for you? We are in a big push this weekend to try to get every American to give $1.00 (or better yet $5.25 - to signify the date of Memorial Day) to help our wounded troops. This is what Memorial Day is all about.
"Yesterday by being on CNN and CNBC to talk about it-- Bob and I raised $21,000 just from people twittering and going to the website to give."............
I'll be visiting family in another state this Memorial Day so I want to leave this message before I go.
I know Memorial Day is for honoring The Fallen and I will. But, as usual, I like to leave a message here at VetVoice for the veterans and those still in service as well.
I promise that I will vote for candidates who make supporting you a viable part of their platform, and I will do whatever else I'm able to do to help them be elected. Also, I will always give my support to any member of Congress who is sponsoring a bill that will benefit you no matter what party they belong to. And I won't be lazy about it -- I will actually write the letters and make the phone calls.
To Jon, Brandon, Brian, Chris, Richard, CIB and all the others who make this organization work, a note of thanks. To all the other members here, peace be with you. To Carissa and the "spouses" and anyone else who loves a service member or vet, thanks for letting a crusty old uncle take part. And to Jimstaro: Jim, you are sort of like an unsung hero around here to me. You are forever posting links that are helpful, thought-provoking, and informative, and you seem to do it tirelessly. You just seem like a hell of a good guy to me.
Over the last seven years we veterans keep re-visiting the subject of shared national sacrifice. Maybe we ought to talk even more about shared national awareness. Without awareness, nothing happens, and certainly not shared sacrifice.
A couple of years ago it was reported that in one American city, on a day when only 1100 people showed up for a veterans' march, 40,000 showed up for a paint-ball championship.Soon Memorial Day will produce an article or two on Iraq and Afghanistan, none on peace-keeping missions anywhere, and probably 40 pages of Memorial Day Sale ads.........................
"It is easy for us who are living to honor the sacrifices of those who are dead. For it helps us to assuage the guilt we should feel in their presence. Wars can be prevented just as surely as they are provoked, and therefore we who fail to prevent them share in guilt for the dead." General of the Army Omar Bradley
Administrator of Veterans Affairs, 1945-48
On the 11th Day of the 11th month each year, Americans come together to honor those in uniform, the ones who sacrificed for our nation, on Veterans Day. As a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan, War on Terror, I urge everyone to take this day to not just thank a veteran, but to talk with veterans. Learn about how our experiences have shaped our lives and what issues we face as we make our transitions back to civilian life. I would like to explain my side of the story, my own experience.
When I joined the military I was a young, confused kid, who did not know much about life, due to being sheltered for most of my life by my over protective parents. I did not know much about the war, just that I was enraged at the hatred those terrorists had for all Americans and me. I wanted to help my country, to protect it at all cost, even giving up my life to do so. It may sound funny but when I initially tried to enlist in the military, I was to be a military post-man, but the job had already been taken. Since I am color-blind, I wasn't able to have a range of opportunities in the military. My placement was therefore in Mortuary Affairs Specialist. I felt that I grew up quicker in my years in service than most people do in their whole lifetime.
I was nineteen years old on February 8th, 2002. It was kind of cold for Phoenix as I reached the Airport headed to Fort Jackson, in South Carolina for basic training. Upon reaching Fort Jackson, referred by some in the service as relaxant Jackson, I found that the life I had chosen would not be as easy as I thought. Those first couple of days I got a hair cut, issued uniforms, and learned the waiting line for training was long. During this time, since 9/11, there was a mass influx of new recruits; the Army had problems finding them units to train in. For me I was lucky kind of, since I had a school date that did not come around very often, they tried to offer me another job, but I turn them down, I was shipped from Fort Jackson, then to Fort Lenderwood Missionary. The Ozark Mountains are cold and during winter, it was unbearable. It was an extreme change for me because I was mostly familiar with the hot weather in Phoenix, AZ. Exercising and running in extreme weather with being out shape was horrible. There was no special treatment for anyone but the drill sergeants made me work twice as hard. The treatment I received was something similar to a movie, where the fat kid got picked on and abused, but it was some thing I needed in order to become who I need to be. Despite this, I worked hard, did everything I was ordered to do, and eventually I graduated from boot camp with a new physique. During graduation, my fellow recruits honored me with "The Most Changed Person" reward, the Order of the Dragoon.
I was off to my next challenge, training for my MOS. When I reached Fort Lee, Virginia, I missed my start date and had to wait for the next one. This meant that I couldn't get a pass to go anywhere; I had to just sit at the barracks, clean the floors, and do KP duty. After awhile this routine got incommodious. I was so happy on Memorial Day 2002, because the next day I was scheduled to start school. Then all of a sudden, I had horrible stomach pains, and could not figure what it was. So I was sent me off to the ER, the doctors initially diagnosed appendix problems. The one-hour surgery was then scheduled immediately, however it took five hours to complete. Apparently, my appendix had been ruptured for over a month including basic training. The surgeons said I am so lucky to be alive. I got a month off to recover and relax. When I got back to Fort Lee, I had to wait another month for class, so eventually when I got to school; I did my best to learn about my job and almost graduated at the top of my class. The reason why I did not graduate at the top of my class was due to my stomach muscles not fully recovering, which made doing sit-ups very hard. I did it because I wanted to join my unit at Fort Lee.
My feelings of excitement and wanting to serve were still in tact even after months of prolong waiting and recovery. In order to be all that I could be, to be the best, I exceed my own abilities by 120%. The mindset I had, came a long way (physically from Phoenix and mentally from the first story I heard about the terrorist attacks), I had really changed for the better. In the first year, I received my first (minor) medal, the Army Achievement Medal. With this acknowledgement from the Army, I wanted to speed up my deployment overseas to Afghanistan, but that wasn't going to happen until March 18th 2003. According to orders, my team that I was assigned to from my unit wasn't schedule to arrive in Iraq first. Instead, I worked in the Theater Mortuary Affairs Evacuation Point, a place that went nonstop for the first three months.
Sleep was limited to when I did not hear a helicopter, and when body's slowed down coming in. In the states I had worked at the Richmond Morgue, but war was different. Instead of just seeing some one you did not know in the states, in Kuwait you learn to know every one, due to them wearing the same uniform, and inventorying all their personal effects, you knew who they wear when they left. Not only was our job to process Americans, but we also helped process British, and any other Allies. During this time I saw the mistakes we made, such as shooting British helicopter down with Sam missiles, and killing Brazilin journalist when we hit the wrong building, during that time I saw the horrors that mankind was possible of. I start experiences, problems, and tried to seek medical help, but I was deferred and told I would be fine. My excitement had come to an end, and I start to get in trouble, pretty soon my 1st Sgt, thought that I was not experiencing enough of the war, so he sent me to the Iraq, Camp Alsad. In Camp Alsad, was slow, but became difficult. Some of the soldiers I ate with at the chow hall, and knew were head on a rest and relaxation mission, but instead of making it, their helicopter was shot down. My team had to go clean the site, recover the bodies, and inventory their belongings. Man life is tough, but even tougher if you know the people. There were two other tough missions. The first were, when three Special Forces soldiers had been killed, when they were given orders not to shoot into a crowd even if they were receiving fire, not only did we have to process their bodies, but we also had to process the bodies of the people who had killed them. We are mortuary affairs first, and as such we have a moral obligation not to look at uniform, or lack of one, but to look at the person and understand their journey had come to a end, and it was our job to treat them with respect because every one has family and friends that care for them, it was not are job to judge right or wrong, which is very hard. The second tough mission was when we went with a convoy head to a site, that they had reportedly killed Sadam Husain, but in fact the compound was filled with animals and women and children. I do not think the Air Force meant to kill them, they were trying to do there job in following cell phone singles, and when they split, they went after the most likely target. On this mission two things had happened. One back in Alsad I was having bad night terrors, but the person in charge of my team figured the answer was not sending me back, but instead was to put me on night duty, and to change the location I slept on, in the location I was, this almost spelled disaster for me and my friend, when I woke up and started to scream at the top of my lungs, the people sleeping around the truck react and were about to shoot in the back of the truck, when my Sgt yelled stop he is just dreaming, oh thank god. The second thing is as I stated before, we are trained to respect the dead, and their belongings. This did not transfer to the people there, instead they were ordered to bury everything, destroy all evidence and move on. That pretty much covers Iraq.
When I got back to the states, I faced many hardships under the care of the Army. I am like millions of other veterans dealing with mental and physical scars of war. Most Americans will never know about these issues because it is not covered in the news or articles. The Army has become a two-sided issue for me; it was once a place where I wanted to succeed at being a great solider and fight for our rights and our country. Now that I came home I am still fighting another battle, however, this fight, I fight alone. I am trying to cope with sudden flashbacks, traumatizing combat events, hyper-vigilance to the recurrence of danger, feelings of numbness, low self-esteem, rage, and lapses in concentration. All of these have caused me to descend in my quality of life. I thought the Army and my unit would continue to care for me, treat me as a fellow solider, and assist me with finding resources for coping and healing. However, this was not the case, my unit classified me as a troublemaker, an unfit solider. As a result, they discharged me out of the Army abruptly without taking responsibility for the causes of my PTSD illnesses. Like other soldiers, I tried to reach out for help but once the system failed, I tried to commit suicide twice during my service. Luckily, both times, one of my few friends stopped me. This incident put me in a mental hospital involuntarily, where they doped me up on strong medicines, and no one cared to seek the reasons behind the action. I wasn't allowed to receive my care at the Army hospital, because if procedures were followed, there would have been a long investigation and no one wanted to take the time to take care of their wounded soldiers with PTSD. Instead, I was discharged immediately with personality disorder. This seems to be the common practice for the Army, not just in my case but also 20,000 other veterans. At 5 P.M. September 16, 2004, my last official orders from the Army were, TO GET OUT!! Heavily medicated, I received my car keys, and was told to drive over 5000 miles, all the way home to Phoenix, Arizona. My feelings that proscribed afterwards are indescribable.
Even though I am still in my own body, this whole experience has shaped my life. Following my physical return home to Phoenix, AZ, I, however, didn't return home with my state of mentality. My homecoming wasn't what I imagined, that is because it was based on tv and movies I've seen about returning soldiers as hero's. I became hospitalized time and time again.
Don't worry, my story gets better and does have a great beginning. This new chapter in my life begins with the chance meeting the love of my life, my wife. With her continued support, I am able to handle some things on my own. A great support system, love, understanding, and patience, is what I think all soldiers should have and receive upon their return home. After all, the important issue is that we are all humans! With the good and the bad, we will always have our memories.
So on this Veterans Day and every day the best way to honor our veterans is to connect with them. So please remember and honor our fellow humans, our veterans. Without recognition from our family and friends, it doesn't seem like all of our efforts make a difference. Many of us new veterans are being left behind, we have honored you by defending your rights, and all we ask is to welcome us home.
Sincerely,
Joshua C. Poulsen
Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran
Alex Horton--who writes on VetVoice as ThisDudesArmy--went on NPR's To the Point with Warren Olney yesterday to discuss how recent combat veterans view Memorial Day. It's a great interview and also features Jim Sheeler, author of Final Salute--a book I'm going to talk about here soon. You can listen to the entire show by clicking here. Alex's segment begins at the 36:35 mark.
From a distance the image above is but an abstract pattern, almost like some fabric that would be used for a garment or an adornment. On closer observation, one realizes the objects are stark, white crosses, grave markers, casting their black shadows on green, grass covered graves. A pattern with meaning.
Once again Veterans are living with the apathy of the country they served!
Remember Agent Orange or the many other ailments and Government using Military Personal to test the effects from Nuclear Explosions and Drugs, probably not!
Look them up, or search out the Vets, using this technology, who are still trying to Educate you too!
Remember the 1st Gulf War?
How about the Veterans from, with questions about, their rapidly deteriorating health after serving, many having died since, coming under the obscure name of 'Gulf War Syndrom', look that one up as well!
I am very ashamed at not only Sen. McCain and his lack of taking a decision on the new GI Bill, but also those 22 Senators who voted against this bill. I am concerned because had all of these or a few more at nothing else supported this bill then George W. Bush would have not had the option of a veto.
I have started a fund on Act Blue to oppose all of those who voted against this bill that are up for re-election in 2008. I am including Veterans and non-Veterans in hopes that we will send them a message that it is unconscionable to vote against better educational benefits for veterans.
www.actblue.com/page/gibill
I know that some of these Senators claim that this new bill would cause retention problems. However, as Sen. John Warner says that argument is "Very thin and tenuous." He finished by saying that it could be a very strong recruitment tool.
Furthermore, I found an article in the Tennessean this morning that said that the original GI Bill was so historically significant in that "Veterans of modest dreams could afford to attend college, which for most had just been a pipe dream if it was consideration at all. Many of American's professional class since WWII owe their opportunities to the GI Bill."
I find the parallels in todays potential recruits and those of the original GI generation. With the economy in the shape it is in, I see many of our troops not being able to afford college going forward because of rising gas prices and the foreclosure crisis as well as the potential recession. This will give them better opportunity.
Shame on those that opposed this Bill. I urge you to send them a message, whether it be $1.01, $5.01 or more.
A Dollar Fifty Patriot (or, why I don't celebrate Memorial Day)
Monday is officially Memorial Day. This weekend, however, our nation's beaches will be full of laughing half-naked tourists looking to shake that pale, white tone of skin they earned through a winter full of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Superbowl dinners. The stores will be full of shoppers eager to make a penny on a buck savings on cheap, dime-store plastic items they really don't need. Backyards will be spent grilling and barbecuing cholesterol-laden foods which will inevitably cause a night's worth of painful indigestion. Alcohol will be consumed by the gallons to be rewarded by a Monday or Tuesday morning hangover. All to remember our fallen dead.
John Boccieri, a VoteVets-endorsed candidate for Congress, has been asked to deliver this weekend's Memorial Day radio response to President Bush's address. Here is the complete text:
Good morning. My name is John Boccieri and I'm a state Senator from Ohio who's running for Congress in the 16th District. I'm also a Major, Aircraft Commander, and C-130 pilot in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. And, I've proudly served our nation while flying missions in Iraq and Afghanistan during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
During those four deployments, I airlifted wounded and fallen soldiers from Baghdad. I ask you to join me this Memorial Day as we salute our soldiers' duty, sacrifice and commitment for our country. Whether we agree with this war or not, we must thank the families of our soldiers' for their sacrifices here at home, and remember the great honor American soldiers bestow upon our country by placing themselves in harm's way.
While our brave soldiers honor America by standing up and fighting for us around the globe, we must honor them by standing up and fighting for them here at home. The best way to honor their service and sacrifice is to ensure they have the benefits they deserve and the resources they need to succeed when they come home.
"The welcome mat for memoirs by veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom might never wear out so long as they write with the savvy of Brandon Friedman . . . Friedman's take is vivid, frank, precise and dramatic."--Military Times
"Add Brandon Friedman's The War I Always Wanted to the ranks of outstanding non-fiction produced by officers from elite combat units in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Always truthful, often excruciatingly so, The War I Always Wanted rises at numerous points to the level of literature."--Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire
"A Time To Lead confirms the rewarding benefits of military service at a time when such service is experiencing considerable strain. It also includes a comprehensive description of America's current national imperatives, which deserve serious consideration."--General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., former Secretary of State
"This is a primer on leadership forged in battle and by decades of experience. . .This isn't just a book; it's a manual for leading people and living a good life."--Barry McCaffrey, General, USA (ret.)
"Whip smart, sassy, with a mouth as foul as a sailor's, 28-year-old Sergeant Kayla Williams. . .tells what it's like to be a female soldier in Iraq."--Booklist
". . .echoes military memoirists from Julius Caesar to Ernie Pyle."--Publishers Weekly
". . .a shocking, on-the-ground view of one military woman's experience in Iraq."--Bookmarks Magazine
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Similarly, the views expressed on this website are those of the authors alone. Opinions on this website do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense or any of its components.
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With Memorial Day right around the corner, check out this wonderfully moving article printed in USA TODAY entitled 
Teen PTSD researcher Ilana Rice
