Andy

My oldest son in the Oregon National Guard. Delta unit I think and currently in Georgia training for deployment to Iraq next month. I haven't seen him since I left Portland in January and it is difficult to think about not seeing him again until he returns to Oregon, maybe a year or more from now.

He joined the Marines before he graduated from high school and left for boot camp before he turned 18. It was one of the hardest days of my life to turn him over to the Marines that day. He did some travelling then...to Kuwait, Bahran, Djabouti and Japan....I wish he was going to Japan again now but no, Bagdad is the destination of his unit.

I don't think of him as being a tough guy- although he is pretty tough. He has two big tiger tattoos, one on each shoulder. He's had his share of scrapes and bruises and stitches as a little kid. He most recently 'survived' a Brown Recluse spider bite and is taking a load of antibiotics. I think he is compassionate, funny , strong, smart, determined. He is able to keep his cool in emergency situations (he gets that from me)...good qualities that make him a tough enough guy to honor his country.

So for people that think I'm doing something good in a tough place to live, volunteering for a relatively small organization, and doing what I can to make something a little better, Andy is doing a far greater service for a far greater organization to make something a lot better.

I love you Andy. Please take good care! I'll miss you but I am proud of you!