A Sobering Experience

Okay, sorry I haven't written lately. Okay, about last weekend. We actually didn't get to fly to Yankton, which was a bummer. I didn't even know until I showed up for drill in uniform and everyone else was dressed in "Civies" (civilian clothes for the long drive.) Anyway, drill went well, though we had to stay in a dive of a motel in Vermillion, 26 miles away, because all the good hotels had been booked up due to River Boat Days Celebrations going on in Yankton. Some of the group went to a concert Saturday night, and the other half of us stayed and drank a little and played putt putt (mini-golf). We still had fun.
It was a significant experience, however. On Saturday we met a soldier who had returned from Iraq 2 years ago, expected to die, and is currently going through an amazing recovery. His convoy was hit by an IED and he was sent forward to assist, because he had civilian paramedic skills, when he was hit by the second IED explosion. He was flown to the U.S., his wife was flown down to be with him for his last days, and that's when they realized he had some neurological activity in his brain. Thus began his slow recovery. He is blind, his skull is slightly deformed on one side of his head, and we were amazed to see him walk, not be wheeled, into the armory in full military uniform. He is an inspiration, and his wife is an absolutely amazing woman! It was a very lasting experiencing just to meet someone of that caliber, and very sobering. I thanked him and his wife for their service and sacrifices made. They have two young children. I was very happy to return home to mine!