You Cast a Giant Shadow and We Remember

Sargent Benjamin Parker. EOD is  pictured here and was our guest for Christmas Eve dinner a number of years ago. My family loved having him as a guest. He met TTrouble the Military Working Dog we fostered in his honor. TTrouble is serving in the Navy. 

I asked him where he spent last Christmas Eve. He told us he was standing in cold water and mud diffusing a complicated IED under a bridge. The problem was complicated by the cold and it took much longer than expected. When he returned to base he hit his rack. And this year he is here at our warm and comfortable home.

My wife and I were thrilled to attend Ben's wedding a few years later. He is part of our family and always will be.

My Greatest Generation WWII B-25 Pilot Father passed away December 22, 2016. There were many nights he woke us up as little kids screaming as he revisited events from the war he never talked about. I read this article and would loved to have him see it, but it was already too late.

Anyone who has experienced the horrors of war returns home different. In one sense the people who left never return home because the person that left is so changed.

Watching Jimmy Stewart in A Wonderful Life I always had the feeling there was more to his performance that acting. Stewart's personal pain seemed to come through. It wasn't until I read this article in the Chicago Tribune that I understood where the pain came from.

My late father had tremendous respect for Second Lieutenant Stewart taking combat missions instead of 'milk runs'.

As you watch Its a Wonderful Life, please think about all those on active duty and the Veterans working through the pain they experienced so we can sleep safely at night.

PTSD never goes away. People learn to deal with PTSD and smooth out the roller coaster ride of emotions it causes, but it is always there. 

Click to read the original article.