Leonidas
12-11-2003, 08:22 PM
Be warned from the start, this is a depressing vent post.
Got a call from a good frined of mine today telling me a mutual friend of ours has been missing in Iraq since October. This is a guy we both have known for over 10 years. He is also one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege of knowing.
His car was found, along with his unfired weapon and $40K in cash (for whatever mission he was on), all untouched, and no sign of him. Knowing how these folks operate over there, I am pretty certain he is dead, and his death was likely not a pleasant one. The circumstances of his disappearance are a message unto themself. The unused weapon a sign of the swiftness and surety of capture. The untouched money a message that all your power and money cannot buy us.
I've been over there myself, along with many companions and had little to no problem, but that was during major hostilities, when things were strangely safer than they are now.
When I first met Kirk he was one of those people that strikes you as just another big old geek. But I found him to be a renaissance man. A musician, a great athlete, a historian of some note, an outstanding scholar, and a fine husband and father of four wonderful children. After we went through tech school I was honored by his wonderful comments about me as he accepted his award as our Distinguished Graduate. Kirk made wonderful comments about everyone in our class, but he made them all personal. He was the kind of guy who was damn good at everything he did, but he had that special ability to ensure everyone admired him for it, no one who really knew him was ever jealous.
We didn't stay much in touch, but sometimes that's the nature of our business. We all know eventually we'll run into each other at one assignment or another. And if not, I know at least five people off the top of my head at any given time I am certain who could get me in contact with him.
The last time I saw Kirk was three years ago at a gym on Langley AFB, Virginia. He was trying to get in the National Guard because he had a great civilian job offer. The last thing he told me was that he was getting out because the pay was the difference between sending his kids to state school and sending them to Ivy League.
Now I'm trying to search my vast net of friends for his wife's address and phone number to find out how he happened to be where he was and if there is anything in the world I am capable of doing to help her and her kids. The military has a good life insurance policy for when you die, but I have no idea what they do for a family when you are MIA. I'm quite sure she will already have had similar calls many times over, but it doesn't mean I still shouldn't do it.
Sorry to drop this depressing bomb on you guys, but I needed to vent. I always knew when I first committed to this business the day would come when somebody I was close to would come to such a situation, but I never knew how much it would affect me. I'm still searching for an appropriate emotional reaction. Quite possible when I talk to his wife I'll just lose it altogether.
I love my work, but today I find it a bit diminished.
Got a call from a good frined of mine today telling me a mutual friend of ours has been missing in Iraq since October. This is a guy we both have known for over 10 years. He is also one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege of knowing.
His car was found, along with his unfired weapon and $40K in cash (for whatever mission he was on), all untouched, and no sign of him. Knowing how these folks operate over there, I am pretty certain he is dead, and his death was likely not a pleasant one. The circumstances of his disappearance are a message unto themself. The unused weapon a sign of the swiftness and surety of capture. The untouched money a message that all your power and money cannot buy us.
I've been over there myself, along with many companions and had little to no problem, but that was during major hostilities, when things were strangely safer than they are now.
When I first met Kirk he was one of those people that strikes you as just another big old geek. But I found him to be a renaissance man. A musician, a great athlete, a historian of some note, an outstanding scholar, and a fine husband and father of four wonderful children. After we went through tech school I was honored by his wonderful comments about me as he accepted his award as our Distinguished Graduate. Kirk made wonderful comments about everyone in our class, but he made them all personal. He was the kind of guy who was damn good at everything he did, but he had that special ability to ensure everyone admired him for it, no one who really knew him was ever jealous.
We didn't stay much in touch, but sometimes that's the nature of our business. We all know eventually we'll run into each other at one assignment or another. And if not, I know at least five people off the top of my head at any given time I am certain who could get me in contact with him.
The last time I saw Kirk was three years ago at a gym on Langley AFB, Virginia. He was trying to get in the National Guard because he had a great civilian job offer. The last thing he told me was that he was getting out because the pay was the difference between sending his kids to state school and sending them to Ivy League.
Now I'm trying to search my vast net of friends for his wife's address and phone number to find out how he happened to be where he was and if there is anything in the world I am capable of doing to help her and her kids. The military has a good life insurance policy for when you die, but I have no idea what they do for a family when you are MIA. I'm quite sure she will already have had similar calls many times over, but it doesn't mean I still shouldn't do it.
Sorry to drop this depressing bomb on you guys, but I needed to vent. I always knew when I first committed to this business the day would come when somebody I was close to would come to such a situation, but I never knew how much it would affect me. I'm still searching for an appropriate emotional reaction. Quite possible when I talk to his wife I'll just lose it altogether.
I love my work, but today I find it a bit diminished.