My 13 year old son wrote this poem that won 1st place in his school district. I wanted to share it.
Farewell Again...
When I was eight years old, my dad had to leave.
I knew what was going on, but I didn't want to believe.
He was fighting someone's else is war, that wasn't even his.
I knew he should be home with us, spending time with his kids.
I helped him pack his bags, and load them in the car,
He was going away for a while, to a place that's very far.
We drove to the airport in the middle of the night,
He looked at me and said his good byes.
He looked at me in the eyes and said,
and told me to be strong,
Then he looked at his wife and said, "Take care of your mom."
It took everything I had to fight back the tears,
He's going to be gone from nine months to a year.
For the next twelve months I was depressed,
Every little thing made me sad and stressed.
But then one day my dad came home,
and then I didn't feel sad, stressed, or alone.
You have to remember that I was eight back then,
But now I'm twelve, and my father is gone once again.
On 20 December 1996, NATO transitioned its operation in support of the Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia and Herzegovina from implementation to stabilization. As a result, Operation Joint Endeavor ended and Operation Joint Guard began. NATO's Implementation Force (IFOR) was similarly replaced by a Stabilization Force (SFOR). The US Task Force Eagle, comprised at that time of 20,000 soldiers led by elements of the 1st Infantry Division, continued to be the US component of the NATO mission. On 20 June 1998, the decision was made to scale down the size of SFOR and NATO transitioned from Operation Joint Guard to Operation Joint Forge.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1997
To Month/Year
June / 1998
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember SSG Davis, SSG Watson, SFC Macmullen, PFC Ellhinicky, PFC Hupe, PFC Wilson, SPC Clark, SPC Macias,
Memories Christmas on Camp Uglevic. Football in the mud. Driving up to the radio tower. Laker girl slipping and falling. All night conversations with the wifey. Tower gaurd, eight hours on sixteen hours off. Leaving my M9 in the latrine. Thank you Jesus for getting it back for me.
