thedrifter
05-13-09, 11:14 AM
May 12, 2009
A Walk in My Boots
Kellie Terrell Wilder
Reader Submitted
I thought after boot camp it would all be easy. Boy doesn't the Marine Corp like to surprise you? Well, it was far from an easy breezy time. Shane went on to all kinds of training. One of his most memorable I'm sure was the winter training up in West Virginia mountains in January. They were put through laying in the snow for hours....remaining still and undetected from anyone trying to find them. Minimal food....some MRE's. I'll never forget the one time he got to call, he was so cold his voice couldn't stop shaking, he was absolutely freezing. When I got off the phone I cried and cried, thinking of what my son was going through and knowing he was doing what he had to do to learn to survive in any kind of condition. I remember when he was in the desert out in 29 Palms preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and he ran out of socks and had blisters all over his feet from the boots rubbing his feet, I asked him what happened to the socks I sent him and he said, "Oh, I gave those to my guys because they didn't have any.". That's just the kind of Marine Shane is, always putting his guys first and thinking of them first. He is a squad leader now and has been in Afghanistan since November. They left November 5th. I cried and cried that day, couldn't eat for days. My stomach was in knots, thinking of the danger he was about to be put in, not knowing if my son would make it home alive. It did get easier, and then, worse. Afghanistan is very mountanious, a trecherous terrain. If you have never read the book "Lone Survivor", read it. It's the story of our Navy Seal heroes, the worse loss of Navy Seal lives in their history.
My son was in some hair raising battles in Nov and December but no one was killed. Amazingly, they fought the Taliban in circumstances that would be worthy of a great movie.
One such instance took place on November 18, 2008. My son's platoon of 30 Marines was attacked and ambushed by 250 Taliban fighters. One of their humvees was struck by a rocket propelled grenade, all the Marines made it out alive, one being knocked unconscious. The Taliban had these Marines pinned down behind enemy fire and a battle which lasted 8 hours ensued.
The Marines fought and battled until they were able to get their fellow Marines to safety, then fought house to house and trench to trench. Cobra helicopters were called in for air support. Finally the Marines broke through and the Taliban retreated.
Over 50 Taliban were killed and there was no loss of any Marines. My son said when they finally got back to the base everyone had heard about the battle and was so thankful they all made it back all the guys were running out there and carrying their packs for them, they had their cots all laid out and ready for them with their mail laying on them. My son said he received 5 packages that day. (I had the compulsive care package disorder..lol) He said it was just like Christmas! I cried when he told me this story. Knowing how bravely they fought...how proud their Marine brothers were of them, and how they fought and did whatever it took to bring their stranded Marine brothers back safely with them.
Everything changed in January. They lost their first Marine brother on January 1st. A few days later, one of Shane's guys, Lcpl Jesse Cassada, 19 from NC was killed during an intense battle. They were going house to house searching for bomb making materials when they were attacked. Surrounded by the Taliban from rooftops and all around. Jesse and two others were on the roof. They were calling fire upon targets to those on the ground. As Jesse was getting down off the roof a random aka 47 spray got him and he was killed. Shane said Jesse fought with such honor, with no regard for his own life or safety, doing whatever he had to do to make sure he directed the fire on target. There have been 9 Marines from the 3/8 Marines killed in Afghanistan since Jan 1. Also, 2 of Shane's Sgts. who taught him everything about bombs and demolition were killed. They were with the Combat Engineer Batallion.
The hardest thing ever was April 8th when Shane's best friend, who he has spent the last 3 years side by side with was killed. I have an alert set on my phone to get any news of Afghanistan and the Marines. I opened the message and saw the name, LCpl Blaise Oleski, and I went numb. I hoped and prayed it wasn't true and ran to the computer to look up any thing I could find.
There it was, LCpl Blaise Oleski was killed. Shane has been devestated. To be so young and to have seen such tragedy and to have suffered such loss, I can't even imagine. These Marines are closer than blood. They would lay down their lives in a second for each other. I know my son suffers needless guilt because he feels like there is something he should have been able to do to save Blaise, but I know there wasn't. He said, "I never had a shot, I never saw it coming." My heart was so broken for my son, knowing the pain he was suffering and there was nothing I could do. I could not be there to comfort him or put my arms around him. My heart was broken for Blaise's family. I could not even begin to know the pain his mom and dad were going through, thinking if any thing happened to Shane there is no way I could function, go on with life. I cried every day for the next week.
Constantly thinking of Blaise, his family, my son, and knowing what danger my son was in. He said a few days later they were going back out to hit the place where Blaise was killed. I was so worried Shane would want revenge and might do something to put himself in danger. The only contact I have with Shane is through email so I said what I could to give him encouragement and comfort through words. The day they leave Afghanistan I will have such a burden of relief lifted off my heart. I can not wait for the day when I will see my son again. I can't wait to grab him and give him the biggest hug. I will shed tears of joy to have my son safe again. The only way I have survived this 7 month deployment is through the support and encouragement of fellow Marine moms. No one can understand what it's like to be a Marine, unless you are one, and no one can understand what it's like to be a Marine mom....unless you are one. We have this instant bond and tie that can't be put in words. I can find a Marine mom online and start talking to her and I feel as if she is one of my closest dearest friends instantly. I have met many moms through the Marineparents web site and I can't wait to finally meet them in person at the big homecoming. My son emailed today and their departure from that most dangerous place in Afghanistan is immenent....I can't wait. He has been in the most remote, dangerous place in Southern Afghanistan. As he said in his letter in boot camp, "I was born to be a grunt, I wouldn't change it for the world." I know he has been doing what he loves, I know he wouldn't have wanted to be sitting around at some base. He has gone for weeks without even a bath or change of clothes...he has been through the most hellish conditions...trudging through knee deep mud, freezing up in the mountains and snow of Afghanistan, being stranded in a blown up humvee, being caught on foot patrol in blinding sand storms, but I know he is a Marine, it's what he's trained for, it's what he was meant to do. Shane has matured so much, when I talk to him it's like he has absorbed all this wisdom and strength in a matter of 3 years. He has endured so much and accomplished so much and I know that whatever he does with his life it will be extrodinary because the Marine Corp has brought out all of the best qualities in him. I am so proud, my son has grown up to be my hero.
Semper Fi
http://cmsimg.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DI&Date=20090512&Category=NEIGHBORHOODS01&ArtNo=905120335&Ref=AR&MaxW=318&Border=0
Ellie
A Walk in My Boots
Kellie Terrell Wilder
Reader Submitted
I thought after boot camp it would all be easy. Boy doesn't the Marine Corp like to surprise you? Well, it was far from an easy breezy time. Shane went on to all kinds of training. One of his most memorable I'm sure was the winter training up in West Virginia mountains in January. They were put through laying in the snow for hours....remaining still and undetected from anyone trying to find them. Minimal food....some MRE's. I'll never forget the one time he got to call, he was so cold his voice couldn't stop shaking, he was absolutely freezing. When I got off the phone I cried and cried, thinking of what my son was going through and knowing he was doing what he had to do to learn to survive in any kind of condition. I remember when he was in the desert out in 29 Palms preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and he ran out of socks and had blisters all over his feet from the boots rubbing his feet, I asked him what happened to the socks I sent him and he said, "Oh, I gave those to my guys because they didn't have any.". That's just the kind of Marine Shane is, always putting his guys first and thinking of them first. He is a squad leader now and has been in Afghanistan since November. They left November 5th. I cried and cried that day, couldn't eat for days. My stomach was in knots, thinking of the danger he was about to be put in, not knowing if my son would make it home alive. It did get easier, and then, worse. Afghanistan is very mountanious, a trecherous terrain. If you have never read the book "Lone Survivor", read it. It's the story of our Navy Seal heroes, the worse loss of Navy Seal lives in their history.
My son was in some hair raising battles in Nov and December but no one was killed. Amazingly, they fought the Taliban in circumstances that would be worthy of a great movie.
One such instance took place on November 18, 2008. My son's platoon of 30 Marines was attacked and ambushed by 250 Taliban fighters. One of their humvees was struck by a rocket propelled grenade, all the Marines made it out alive, one being knocked unconscious. The Taliban had these Marines pinned down behind enemy fire and a battle which lasted 8 hours ensued.
The Marines fought and battled until they were able to get their fellow Marines to safety, then fought house to house and trench to trench. Cobra helicopters were called in for air support. Finally the Marines broke through and the Taliban retreated.
Over 50 Taliban were killed and there was no loss of any Marines. My son said when they finally got back to the base everyone had heard about the battle and was so thankful they all made it back all the guys were running out there and carrying their packs for them, they had their cots all laid out and ready for them with their mail laying on them. My son said he received 5 packages that day. (I had the compulsive care package disorder..lol) He said it was just like Christmas! I cried when he told me this story. Knowing how bravely they fought...how proud their Marine brothers were of them, and how they fought and did whatever it took to bring their stranded Marine brothers back safely with them.
Everything changed in January. They lost their first Marine brother on January 1st. A few days later, one of Shane's guys, Lcpl Jesse Cassada, 19 from NC was killed during an intense battle. They were going house to house searching for bomb making materials when they were attacked. Surrounded by the Taliban from rooftops and all around. Jesse and two others were on the roof. They were calling fire upon targets to those on the ground. As Jesse was getting down off the roof a random aka 47 spray got him and he was killed. Shane said Jesse fought with such honor, with no regard for his own life or safety, doing whatever he had to do to make sure he directed the fire on target. There have been 9 Marines from the 3/8 Marines killed in Afghanistan since Jan 1. Also, 2 of Shane's Sgts. who taught him everything about bombs and demolition were killed. They were with the Combat Engineer Batallion.
The hardest thing ever was April 8th when Shane's best friend, who he has spent the last 3 years side by side with was killed. I have an alert set on my phone to get any news of Afghanistan and the Marines. I opened the message and saw the name, LCpl Blaise Oleski, and I went numb. I hoped and prayed it wasn't true and ran to the computer to look up any thing I could find.
There it was, LCpl Blaise Oleski was killed. Shane has been devestated. To be so young and to have seen such tragedy and to have suffered such loss, I can't even imagine. These Marines are closer than blood. They would lay down their lives in a second for each other. I know my son suffers needless guilt because he feels like there is something he should have been able to do to save Blaise, but I know there wasn't. He said, "I never had a shot, I never saw it coming." My heart was so broken for my son, knowing the pain he was suffering and there was nothing I could do. I could not be there to comfort him or put my arms around him. My heart was broken for Blaise's family. I could not even begin to know the pain his mom and dad were going through, thinking if any thing happened to Shane there is no way I could function, go on with life. I cried every day for the next week.
Constantly thinking of Blaise, his family, my son, and knowing what danger my son was in. He said a few days later they were going back out to hit the place where Blaise was killed. I was so worried Shane would want revenge and might do something to put himself in danger. The only contact I have with Shane is through email so I said what I could to give him encouragement and comfort through words. The day they leave Afghanistan I will have such a burden of relief lifted off my heart. I can not wait for the day when I will see my son again. I can't wait to grab him and give him the biggest hug. I will shed tears of joy to have my son safe again. The only way I have survived this 7 month deployment is through the support and encouragement of fellow Marine moms. No one can understand what it's like to be a Marine, unless you are one, and no one can understand what it's like to be a Marine mom....unless you are one. We have this instant bond and tie that can't be put in words. I can find a Marine mom online and start talking to her and I feel as if she is one of my closest dearest friends instantly. I have met many moms through the Marineparents web site and I can't wait to finally meet them in person at the big homecoming. My son emailed today and their departure from that most dangerous place in Afghanistan is immenent....I can't wait. He has been in the most remote, dangerous place in Southern Afghanistan. As he said in his letter in boot camp, "I was born to be a grunt, I wouldn't change it for the world." I know he has been doing what he loves, I know he wouldn't have wanted to be sitting around at some base. He has gone for weeks without even a bath or change of clothes...he has been through the most hellish conditions...trudging through knee deep mud, freezing up in the mountains and snow of Afghanistan, being stranded in a blown up humvee, being caught on foot patrol in blinding sand storms, but I know he is a Marine, it's what he's trained for, it's what he was meant to do. Shane has matured so much, when I talk to him it's like he has absorbed all this wisdom and strength in a matter of 3 years. He has endured so much and accomplished so much and I know that whatever he does with his life it will be extrodinary because the Marine Corp has brought out all of the best qualities in him. I am so proud, my son has grown up to be my hero.
Semper Fi
http://cmsimg.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DI&Date=20090512&Category=NEIGHBORHOODS01&ArtNo=905120335&Ref=AR&MaxW=318&Border=0
Ellie