I have had less time to write lately as we are extremely busy preparing to move back to the friendly confines of the United States. Though we are not done with our mission here, our roles are slowly starting to change into transitioning home. I apologize for the lack of posts, but hope that my email responses to the many you have sent were sufficient.
I have been asked whether I will continue this blog after this deployment is over. I am not sure yet. I will have to see how I feel when I get home. This was supposed to be a place for me to write down some thoughts for family and close friends to follow while I was gone. Instead it turned into 30,000 unique viewers in 21 countries and now an offer to write a book. I'm not sure where this blog is leading, but I will keep you informed. This experience has changed me, maybe just as much as this war has.
I have been very fortunate to be in touch with some wonderful people from all over the world. I have received emails from school students in the US, England, and Portugal. I received emails of support from Denmark, Germany, Australia, and several other countries. I never knew that my simple or sometimes boring thoughts would be read with interest by so many people.
Furthermore, I'm humbled by the outpouring of support for my fallen friends. After SPC Schiller was killed in action on April 11 I received more than 50 emails from around the world extending their thoughts and prayers to myself and my unit. Again when tragedy struck on July 25 readers of this blog responded. I asked people to support Wounded Warrior Project or other causes that help our wounded veterans. I asked for $5,000 to be raised. Instead $12,200 was raised in the 6 weeks that followed. Those donations came from 7 countries.
Spawned from the call to action for my fallen friends, and a well timed photo in support of Detroit City FC, a group of guys in Detroit started the Hooligans for Heroes project aimed to get soccer fans on board with raising money for wounded warriors. They are now hosting fundraisers and getting national attention for their work. I look forward to thanking their founders in person when I get home, and getting involved in the movement myself.
This war has taught me a lot about life, faith, and the human spirit. However I think I've learned just as much from my experiences with this blog. I now have a deeper understanding of the power of words. Words have the ability to start wars but they also have the power to bring people of different nations and religions closer together. They have the power to heal. Your kind words of support helped me through some very difficult and dark times. Even the emails of rage and hate (yes there were several) motivated me. They motivated me to keep doing my job and representing my country with honor...something those sick and evil emails would know nothing about.
I want to thank everyone who has read this blog, and especially those who have taken time to send packages to support me and the guys. Those were always our happiest days. It was like Christmas with boxes and bubble wrap everywhere!
I will write again in the next couple weeks, and will post many photos when I return home.
Until next time...
Chris
No comments:
Post a Comment