Jason Isbell (a former member of Drive-By Truckers) wrote a song named Dress Blues back in 2007.
Every time I hear this song I mourn for all of the American soldier's who never make it home. Having had a spouse deployed and being part of a close nit unit of those left behind I remember nights spent pacing the floor and praying that the base bombed/helo shot down wasn't one of yours.
My best friend is currently deployed on his third tour of duty somewhere in the sky's of Pakistan.
I've seen how war has changed him. Most of those changes haven't been good. There's not much I can do or say for him except be there and send care packages. When a call comes in from him, no matter what I am doing I drop everything. Knowing he is safe and making him laugh are my priorities.
Now, my family is preparing to say good-by to my little sister as she is leaving for her first deployment. Little Bit (one of the nicer childhood nicknames I gave her) is leaving behind her husband and 17 month old daughter. She will be facing danger and challenges that I can't begin to imagine while I am here safe and sound helping raise her daughter till her return. I feel so much guilt and fear- guilt that I should be protecting my sister, and that we didn't get along well at ALL growing up and fear-well yeah, the same fear that every family of a service member out there carries every moment.
Dress Blues by Jason Isbell
What can you see from your window?
I can't see anythin' from mine
Flags on the side of the highway
And scripture on grocery store signs
Maybe eighteen was too early
Maybe thirty or forty is too
Did you get your chance to make peace with the man
Before He sent down his angels for you?
Mamas and grand mamas love you
'Cause that's all they know how to do
You never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin' in your dress blues
Your wife said this all would be funny
When you got back home in a week
Turn twenty two and we'd celebrate you
In a bar or a tent by the creek
Your baby would just about be here
And your very last tour would be up
But you won't be back, they're all dressin' in black
Drinkin' sweet tea in Styrofoam cups
Mamas and grand mamas love you
American boys hate to lose
You never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin' in your dress blues
The high school gymnasium's ready
Full of flowers and old Legionnaires
Nobody showed up to protest
Just sniffle and stare
There's red, white and blue in the rafters
And there's silent old men from the Corps
What did they say when they shipped you away
To fight somebody's Hollywood war?
Nobody here could forget you
You showed us what we had to lose
You never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin' in your dress blues
You never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin' in your dress blues
Kodiak is my favorite place in all of Alaska It's a small island off the coast of Alaska, home to about 6,000 residents (which includes the Coasties). I fly over to visit at least once a year- generally in the summer months or to help kick off memorial weekend and the Kodiak Crab Festival.
Which includes a county fair- lot's of carnival rides that are even more fun in the rain, food and game booths, and group activities. The City council also hosts a kayak race, a marathon, an ultra-marathon, a 9.2-mile (14.8 km) mountain run called the Pillar Mountain Run. I get a kick out of attending the rodeo and entering the rubber ducky water race. Oh and the crab....
I'm lucky that I spent allot of time out on the island while growing up. We ran around like wild things despite all of the local wildlife. Beach combing for sea glass out at White Sands, Fossil hunting out in Pasagshak, kayaking, horseback riding and of course...fishing!
The Aunty and I getting our fish on.
Originally inhabited by Alutiiq (Aleut's) natives for over 7000 years, the city was settled in the 18th century by Russian immigrants and became the capital of Russian Alaska. There's a new exhibit at the Alutiiq museum that I've been itching to see and more pictographs were found last summer. I'm glad I minored in history!
