My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port O Connor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly. Parker and Patty recently hosted two of our wounded warriors for the weekend. What an amazing experience. Chase, an active duty MP, is currently serving as an Army recruiter in the Houston area while he fully recovers from A serious injury. He was hit in the chest wall by shrapnel and his rib and a large artery were destroyed. After being airlifted to safety, the doctors had to recruit a civilian specialist to remove an artery from his thigh and transplant it to his chest so blood flow could be restored. His lung collapsed more than once and he had quite a few complications, but enthusiastically told of his desire to redeploy and use his experience to lead other young men during their deployment. Chase has a six year old daughter living a couple of hours away and his ex-active duty ex-wife is another casualty of his injury he says. She got out when he was injured, afraid of the possibility that they might both get hurt and leave their daughter alone. His re-enlistment ended their marriage. He works hard to ‘spend real time with little Gracie’ every week as he doesn’t know how far his next assignment will take him from where she and her mom live here in Texas, but he remains ‘army proud’ and excited to serve.

Chase’s good friend and co recruiter serving in the same area came with him. Brad has three young children and is overjoyed to be assigned where he will not be deployed for at least the next three years. Four deployments mean many things to Brad. Thirty percent hearing loss in one ear, bone loss from some explosion exposure, and some other health issues have changed his job assignment. Harder still, those deployments mean that he missed the birth of his older two children, was home for only two days when the youngest was born, and attended the first birthday celebration of any of his precious brood for the first time this year. He will likely redeploy after serving as a recruiter also.

Parker and Patty housed, fed and transported these two for just a weekend, but the experience changed their outlook long-term. Just think! These are just two stories out of hundreds in POC for Warriors’ weekend, thousands in our state, and hundreds of thousands in our nation. Theirs is not the first generation so impacted by war. Missing limbs, medical bills, family struggles and mental and emotional well being are only part of the losses and costs soldiers pay for service to their country. Soldiers don’t serve, families do. Little boys learn to hunt and fish from someone other than daddy. Little girls miss their Daddy/Daughter dance because their daddy is far away. Mothers worry for their sons, Fathers fear for their daughters in uniform, husbands of soldiers raise babies alone, wives long for an unplugged non-Skype chat with their husband, siblings miss family milestones and celebrations, and friends lose time and touch. The struggles and pain as well as the honor and glory potentially bestowed on families and service members are non selective, non discriminatory equal opportunity ventures; and none know which will visit them when they agree to service to and for their country.

And we, who sit at home, safe and sound, unfazed by those struggles should never forget that the price paid goes well beyond what any of those soldiers and their families will tell you, far beyond what we can even imagine. They are taught to ‘make the best of it, tell them you are fine, all is well, and do not worry them.’  Parker and Patty found themselves in awe of the positive outlook and pride displayed by their young guest soldiers. They told me they would not soon forget the lessons learned over fishing rods and hamburgers. First, pray for them all, soldiers and families alike. Second, thank them when you see them. They do not hear it often enough. Third, be gracious and kind when you meet them or see them. You have no idea what they have faced and where they are in dealing with it. And lastly, get ready to pitch in, help out and do your part. They are coming back to POC in eleven short months. They each need a clean bed, a hot cup of coffee, a sincere hug, a well rigged rod and reel, a good meal and a warm welcome. You don’t have to do it all, but do something, get involved. Bless a soldier and his family for their services to our country!