The memorial was held for Sgt. Murray, SPC Lane, and SPC Shelton, on September 14. It was a good service but I don’t think it gave us the closure that we thought it would. The memorial was videoed and will be sent to the families of the fallen. 2nd platoon will never be the same without those men. Quite honestly anyone that was touched by them will never be the same. Days move forward and time moves on and I know that they would want us to carry on. We have 8 months left in this place and have to take them just one day at a time. We have been out on 2 missions since September 4th. Our first mission was a night raid to go get some grimy terrorist known for smuggling things into and out of a well known country that harbors terrorists, and assists the insurgents in their fight against us and Iraqi security forces. 1st Platoon was the main effort and we were the outer cordon. I was not alone feeling uneasy on the drive to the target house. My men and I lead out for our element, though 1st Platoon led the way there. We drove to the point where we split off and my driver hauled ass to the backside of the building to prevent the bad guy from running away. We immediately dismounted and sealed off the back of the block while 1st entered the house and grabbed the guy. We mounted up and moved out; we made it back to Rusty without incident. It was good to get outside the wire again.
Our next mission was one where I think we were all agreed that it was well not worth the trip. Ours is not to question but to do. My men and I lead out to our first destination, if it’s going to happen it’s gonna happen, but we will not let these fuckers intimidate us. We drove up the route that had taken our brothers only a week before, we made a right turn onto a different road and we all stared up the road before we made the turn looking as if to catch a glimpse of the sight that had changed everybody’s life on that fateful September day. It was only 300m up the road but it was well out of eye sight. We made it to our first destination, waited for the Commander to finish his meeting. We then rolled out to our second objective. A place we had been before looking for someone who supposedly did something, my men and I had actually searched the house before but someone was not convinced that there was nothing in the house. My men dismounted a block from the target house and moved to the gate. We entered and cleared the home and searched it for a second time, and for a second time found nothing. 1st Platoon lead out on the way back to Rusty, another mission down and one more day closer to the end of another month.
Thank you to everyone that continues to support us, Sgt Murray, SPC Lane, SPC Shelton, SPC Crookston, and SPC Mixson. Thank you for your prayers and your words of support. I would like to say thank you to two organizations that are really amazing and that’s Books for Soldier’s and Soldier’s Angels. These programs are outstanding, I had gotten a letter from a rep from BFS, she had actually sent me the last book I received and also reads the blog. BFS put the names of our fallen on there memorial site and she knew their names not just from here but from them having used BFS. Soldier’s Angels is also a fantastic support system for Soldiers and I know that they contacted another member in the Platoon about Crookston and Mixson and wanted to send their support to their families and also the families of the fallen soldiers. If any of you are interested in volunteering for one of these great organizations, simply Google the website and check it out. BFS how it works for us is we send in a request for a book, or movie, or video game and BFS gets our request and then within 2 weeks you receive what ever you ordered. Soldiers Angels as far as I know they have different teams, letter writing and volunteers that send packages to soldiers. If one of our guys isn’t getting any mail we send his name and address in and the volunteers from Soldier’s Angel’s will send him letters, and packages.
I also googled the names of the fallen and I came across some memorial websites for them if you would like to check them out.
http://joel-murray.memory-of.com/
http://legacy.com/BayCity/Soldier/Story.aspx?Page=FSStory&PersonID=94069787
http://legacy.com/GB/GuestBookView.aspx?PersonID=94069782
http://legacy.com/GB/GuestBookView.aspx?PersonID=94069786
Thank you again.
Ruark OUT!!!
23 comments:
Time will help to ease the pain.
There is never complete closure, but time will ease your pain.
I'm holding you close in my prayers.
Hang in there SSG Ruark.
I know that this has been a difficult time for you and I want to thank you again for your dedicated service to our country.
I want to thank you for posting the touching pictures of the memorial service and the links for your readers.
I did not know these men but I’m grateful for their service and I will never forget their sacrifice.
It’s good to see you writing and hopefully, at the very least, it is therapeutic for you. You have all been in my thoughts and your entry today has helped to ease my mind. Continue to take things one small step at a time, it will get better. I continue to keep you in my prayers.
I was deeply moved as I looked at the photos and read the loving tributes to your fallen comrades and friends. They touched so many lives and they will never be forgotten.
God bless the families who bear such a disproportionate burden for the sake of this war and may God bless you and keep you safe for the remainder of your tour.
Thank you for sharing this. I cannot even begin to imagine the depth of your courage and that of the families of the fallen.
It is absolutely heartbreaking to see those empty boots lined up... Reading the posts on their memorial pages (including yours, Tristan) brings home even more how great the men are who once filled those boots, and what a hole their deaths have left in the lives of their loved ones.
For people interested in checking out Books for Soldiers, which Tristan mentions in his post, go to www.booksforsoldiers.com. If you are deployed and wish to make a request, just fill out the form on the page. If you would like to volunteer to send letters and/or packages to troops, follow the instructions to register on the message board and then download and complete an application. Once your application is approved, you'll have access to hundreds of requests from deployed troops that are posted in a secure area of the boards (http://booksforsoldiers.com/forum).
Andrea from BFS
I have no poem or words to offer today, except to thank you for sharing. The tears flow for those I would not know but for your writing.
I'm having some problems getting the pictures to load so I was unable to view them. I know no words to offer you any measure of comfort. Stay strong and continue moving forward.
Hi Tristan,
Thanks for sharing the memorial with us. We'll remember them always. Know that we keep all of you in our thoughts and prayers too, and we'll do whatever we can to help.
Thanks also for spreading the word about Books for Soldiers. Any deployed military member can make a request through our website, and our volunteers do the best they can to fill it. Some bases have all "non-essential" websites blocked, so for anyone who cannot reach the web-based request form, we have a gmail account set up for requests too. It's bfs010 (at) gmail.com.
Take care, Tristan. We'll keep an eye out for your next request. :-)
--Julie
Site Admin
Books for Soldiers
"Care Packages for the Mind"
The memorial pictures are heartbreaking to see and I thank you for sharing them. I continue to keep all in my prayers.
Stay safe.
I've been out of town and I was unaware of the sad news. I am so very sorry for your loss. Know that I'm keeping all of you in my prayers.
(((hugs)))) love and prayers to y'all...
we will never forget.
ever.
The memorials for the three young men are heart wrenching to read and I pray for their families. I share in your sorrow and I want to thank you for posting the pictures for all of us to see.
If a carebridge site is set up for either of the men that were wounded, please let us know.
I recently became a member of Soldiers' Angels and wanted to give a little more information about the organization. The mission is to provide aid and comfort to the military and their families. S.A. programs include providing first responder backpacks, support and laptops to wounded soldiers receiving treatment; care packages, letters and support to deployed soldiers; and memorial trees for the families of soldiers who have fallen in the service to our country. The website has a list of several programs to join. www.soldiersangels.org. BFS also sounds like a wonderful organization and I thank you for mentioning this to your readers.
You are in my prayers SSG Ruark and may God bless you and keep you safe.
I just wanted to let you know that I'm sending my prayers and best wishes to all of you. We love you guys and you make us proud. Stay safe.
Thank you for all that you do for me and mine~
GodSpeed
Just wanted to let folks know that there is a long write-up about the horrific incident where Joel, Randy, and David were killed and Duncan and Joseph terribly injured in Stars and Stripes today (9/26); see here: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49036
The article includes quotes from Tristan.
I am a 79 year old widow and I am beginning to learn computer basics at the Senior Center. I didn’t know anything about computers or what a blog was until a neighbor let me read here. I want to learn and I’m going to buy a computer so I can continue to read your blog at home. It is very difficult and painful for me to read some of your entries without tears in my eyes, as I am sure it is for everyone who reads here. You write very well and I am able to empathize with you and almost feel and see what you are experiencing. I have been touched by the love you and your wife both show for each other in your writings. The sacrifices a soldier and his family must make for this country are beyond understanding for those of us who have had no exposure to military life. I know of no other way to offer you and your family my support but to continue reading and learning the truth from you. I see a lot of courage and heart in you and that will give you the strength and resolve to continue on. I hope it helps you and your wife to know others care. God Bless you both.
I found your blog after reading The Good Soldiers. You're an amazing group of men. I hope you are doing okay. I hope the book did you all justice. I can't think of enough words to say how much respect and admiration I have for you all, especially the men of the 2-16. I hope you all are doing okay today.
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