American Resilience: Freedom Fighter
A personal story from a decorated US Army veteran that we all need to hear.
September 11, 2001 I was in the 8th grade. I was in US History when my football coach kicked the door down. And I mean, kicked it down. In that moment, I didn’t fully understand what was going on that day. Growing up in downtown Oklahoma City, it wasn’t the first time we had experienced an event like this. The memory of the 1994 Oklahoma City bombing at the Albert P. Murrah building, seemed like yesterday. We had no answers, only questions.
Little did we know it would change the very fabric of the country that had been so generous to us, and of Western civilization forever. Instead of a country united we found ourselves blaming anyone from the Middle East. At a time we should have been United, we as a nation failed.
That day I decided I wanted to make a difference. That day I decided no matter what I was serving my country as a member of the United States Armed Forces.
April 14, 2007 (the day before my own mothers birthday), I followed through on my decision to serve this nation as a member of the military, and enlisted. One thing I was thinking about, was that my mother would see in me that she had raised a strong young man with honor and convictions. Little did I know that this journey, which began at Fort Benning in Georgia would take me all over the world. During my enlistment I spent time with a diverse group of Americans who represented the fabric of American society. We were united in 2 specific goals, the preservation of our nation and getting each other home safely.
We all understood the cost of signing up to defend this nation. We were well aware of the hardships we would face. Nothing mattered more than being there for each other.
There was no division other than what was for lunch or who would be the subject of the most recent prank. Politics did not matter to us. We just wanted to make our families proud.
My journeys took me all over the country of Iraq. I stood in places where a tyrant took the life of a Iraqi national soccer team for losing a match. It is the most somber experience imaginable. I walked the halls of Saddam Hussein’s palace, ate off his gold dishware, and feel an undeniable connection to the brave men and women who helped liberate that country.
A few deployments later my body had seen enough. I could share stories for days. Ultimately this is a tribute to the heart that beats within us all. My story is their story. Their struggles were mine. Those who did not make it back….remembered and we work to preserve their sacrifice.
Sept 29, 2014 was my last day in the military. The last year of my military service was riddled with medical appointments due to broken bones, mental health issues, both combat related and my reward from my daily job. My dream of serving faithfully came to a screeching halt in 2013 when my body for the last time gave out. A broken back, 3 knee surgeries, 2 shoulder surgeries, structural facial damage, and hearing loss are just a few of the physical daily reminders of my service. In addition, I have lived with PTSD, anxiety, depression as well. These are the wounds that no one sees. I am simply one of millions that have been diagnosed with similar medical issues.
“The mental toll being involved in a warzone is not an issue to just throw aside and pretend doesn't exist. I routinely wake up at night in a cold sweat after reliving the horrors of my time in a combat zone. Writing is my cathartic attempt at normalcy and telling the world this story, is a therapy of sorts. It is how I found a way to deal with my personal struggles.”
It has taken me 10 years to find a method that highlights an inner peace that helps me deal with the issues I face. However, along this journey I have found that I have become stronger in so many aspects of my life than I had ever truly thought possible. Writing is most often how I bring awareness to people. Using my life experience in a way that allows others to see the strength they have within themselves often times they do not realize they possess.
Why I continue to fight for America
For 20+ years our nation has been at a crossroads that defines who we as a people are destined to one day become. We find our nation on a knife's edge. A tipping point. A powder keg ready to explode. It is not my job to push an agenda but to elaborate on the roads we the men and women who wore that uniform walked. In the aftermath of 9/11 we embraced an idea of a strong America. That idea seems to have faded from the hearts and minds of countless American citizens.
Aug 26, 2021 is a day that seems to have been forgotten. On that fateful day countless videos came flooding in from Afghanistan. Men, women, and children all caught in the backlash of a heinous attack as the US military withdraw was taking place. On that day tragically we lost thirteen more of the finest young men and women this nation will ever see. thirteen servicemembers forever names etched in history for their bravery, their willingness to serve, and the vital attributes and characteristics that define what it means to be an American Soldier.
Below we remember these thirteen brave freedom fighters.
Some have forgotten their names. Some have forgotten about the images they saw. Countless lives lost. Billions in equipment left behind. I am left asking what was it all for? What was the purpose? Are we as a nation really willing to once again send innocent men and women to fight a battle that is not their own. Are we willing to subjugate them to a lifetime of mental health issues, physical pain, potentially altering the trajectory of their life for a war in a foreign land while we have issues here?
My life was forever altered by the decisions of terrorists and the powerful in Washington, D.C. and other Western capitols. Their decisions were not designed to unite our people, nor were they compassionate to those we conquered. There are politicians looking for conflict at home and abroad, and the money and power to control those conflicts. When will we hold them to account? When will the consequences I and so many others faced affect them?
America and the people that live here are battle-tested. For twenty years we have been in a long almost never-ending conflict in the pursuit of peace. Our ability to adapt and overcome has been the defining characteristic of who we are as a people. As conflict arises we have always found the strength and desire to unify for the good of one another.
I have faith we can once again do that. Our nation is always strongest when are backs are against the wall. We are the caged animal that is ready to pounce once the hatch is unlocked. The Eagle that represents us is a symbol of strength, cunning, elegance, and prosperity. The stars and stripes hold special meaning. 13 original colonies made up of men and women who left everything behind to find a new way of living. Sacrificing everything along the way so that we today may one day stand here and appreciate the path they walked. The stars....50 unified states made up of people with a dream. To see this nation grow and be strong. That is American Resilience.
We carry it all within the blood in our veins. It is the very definition of who we are. Our chosen paths may be different based of what we believe but ultimately the dream is a strong, powerful Nation.
If there is anything I have learned in the last 20 years it is that regardless of what outcome some may want, we as a nation prevail when we are lifting each other up thru the hardest of times. We must keep sight of that and press on to a brighter tomorrow.
Click 👉🏼HERE👈🏼 to learn more!