The Soldier

A visitor came to spend some time with my family.

This weekend was especially sweet. My dear, and most talented brother in law, the Sgt in the Marines, stationed in DC, was here this weekend with the Silent Drill Platoon (SDP). He is the Sgt for that squad, and they are, in a word, AMAZING. They were taking part in a National Police Support Parade, and they were the hit of the show.

Hands down. No question.

If you ever, ever get the chance to see them in DC, or anywhere, do it. They are just precise, disciplined, and incredible at their skills. They are a select group of boys/men (average age is 22 of 28 soldiers) that had to go through rigorous testing, and decision processes to get here. He was candid with the selection process with us, but it is not an easy task to be on that team, and staying is even harder. B said they started with 72 soldiers, and have 28 right now.

So, Friday I was running clean-up with work related things here at the house, K-gal and I (more on the challenges later ....) found some time in the later afternoon to run some errands, and then we went to S's baseball game. B, dear bil, was in town Saturday and S and the kids went to meet up with him (I had a pre-planned work conference for a few hours Sat) and they got to see a special performance of the SDP, for a select crowd in Newport that afternoon.

C was in awe, the uniforms, the weapons, the gold medals, the precision, the details. And K was in awe of the handsome faces of kids that were actually closer to her age than her mother's ... {sigh} Then we got to have B all to ourselves that night at our house. A real treat, as typically, the Sgt needs to stay with the platoon, but his captain gave him the go-ahead to enjoy some R&R with us during a duty weekend. *special smiles* We had some really good laughs, as always.

Sunday was another show, the actual Parade, and my dad and I were able to go together, as the kids had two separate birthday parties and S had another baseball game. Again, great show the SDP puts on. :-) They were last in this parade of law enforcement, and the build up was wonderful. He worked the crowd, and befriended a little boy next to us who was about C's age, and really drank it all in with B's medals, and uniform, and overall stature. They took a nice picture, and he gave him a poster of the SDP, and after B had some of the soldiers autograph the poster next to their names. Reallllllly cool stuff.

I went to S's game, and then we hooked up with B for a few cocktails after S's game, and had to say our goodbyes that evening, as he headed back to my sil in DC, and more work, of course.

The birth order for their family is this: he is the next one in line in S's family, S being the oldest, he is the next, there are two more after him. I have to say in the 20 years I have known him (holy moley ....) he has grown up so much, but he is still the same "kid". He is a fine man, and an amazing soldier, and from all accounts, appears to be one heck of a husband, and son in law.

I am proud to call him part of my family.

And I am scared to death that when his deployment is up in DC in November, he will be only months away from front line activity in the war.

It is what he has wanted for years. It is what he, and so many other Marines, yearn for after they taste a little of it in training. He feels this is his duty.

I am so grateful.

It is beyond words the gratitude I feel. I tell him all the time. And yet, it still feels like it isn't nearly enough.

I feel so honored to be part of his life. I feel so honored that he is a part of ours.

I have a moment-in-time memory from Saturday. At the Parade, he was standing aside so that the SDP could perform, he was standing at ease, but yet, he was aware, and sharp. I snapped a picture (getting developed as we speak .... I promise, I will post.) and heard my own drawn breath. A thought passed my mind, and I closed my eyes. I wanted the thought to go away.

As if it didn't happen.

His wife is struggling with this. She is strong, and smart. But, who wouldn't be terrified? She is also amazing. They have been married 5 years, and together under the same roof only 20 months of the 60 possible. Weird to comprehend. She is now in DC with him for the summer, and that is a great thing.

I cannot wait to see him again.

I cannot wait to say thanks again.