Knee Deep in the Hooah!

Sometimes it’s not what I write when drinking coffee but what is shared. My friend Jim Spiri related the following to me over several cups of Devil Dog Brew.

April 27, 2009.

My son, CW2 Jimmy Spiri, deployed again to the war zone.  This makes the fifth time in his 9-year career. He is an Army aviator and for us what seems heroic is his way of life. To say it’s not easier would be cliché, no parent enjoys sending their son or daughter to war. We pray.

My wife and I have been to the war zone several times now. Our experiences range from working the flight lines to employment in ground operations. As a combat photographer I’ve documented much of  what has transpired but the truism holds that war is not something to ‘get use to’.

My visceral response to my son’s calling manifests in me my own call to action. I have at least one more tour in me.  Somewhere, somehow, I will find a way to see my son during his tour and become the surrogate parent for our country’s young men and women serving in harm’s way.  I am called to stand in the gap for those unable. I never tire of wanting to be there and am exhilarated by relaying home to a loved one, “take comfort, your Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman has served with distinction”. Our sons and daughters are serve patriotically. A legacy continues and we have cause to be proud.

My wife and I know loss.  We buried our Marine son in 2001. Lieutenant Spiri, our Jesse, weighs heavy on our hearts each day. From a suffering that never subsides has grown an indelible commitment to our deployed brave.  My wife and I have become the surrogates that have worked in the Iraq theatre of operations since 2004.

We’ve been there loading the valiant wounded. We’ve been present and shared in mourning as fallen warriors make their final journey home.  With tenderness we’ve loaded personal effects for the receiving family with the knowing life experience of losing a child.
With our moments of grief come even more moments of great joy. We’ve ushered in thousands of men and women deploying in country. One, two, three or more tours; some return as do we. We’ve survived attacks and tense moments on the front lines. And we’ve been there as our proud return home.

I don’t think this fifth deployment of our son would be any easier for us as parents regardless of the circumstances. However, the poignancy is magnified because our son has triplet boys, at 10-months old, they will be more than twice their current age when he returns.  Our grandsons will only know their father through digital photos and our daughter-in-law’s daily prayers. My wife and I share the pain of this reality. And if this wasn’t enough for his young bride, they will have another child in less than two months after he has deployed.  A family always suffers and sacrifices with deployment.
What hope is there? What joy?  Our country is at war but the Spiri family is at peace. We are patriots. When it comes to supporting our son there’s no debate. We remember 9-11 and we are a country at war.

Our other children, along with their children (our grandchildren), support by writing letters, by sending care packages and by adopting units.  Our support should be a national affair. Every home. Every neighborhood. Every school. “One nation, under God…”  a pledge that has tangible meaning to the Spiri family, does this meaning hold true for you?

Our nation is at war.  It is never time to let up. We must support our troops. We must write. We must send care packages. We must pray.

Yes, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jimmy Spiri is my son, but as one of America’s chosen he should be yours too. Remember our sons and daughters.  Get involved. I do.

Sincerely,
Jim Spiri
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Used by permission KDH Copyright © 2009 Jim Spiri Sniper’s Brew All Rights Reserved.