Another Great Photo!

The photo above just arrived this morning. The man in the center is Dave's chaplain, Mike Tomlinson. On the left is another corpsman. The chaplain sent the picture to his wife, who sent it to Kelly, who sent it to us. Such a great picture, we just wanted to share!

Notice the bandana that the chaplain and the other corpsman are wearing. Kevin and I volunteer with Adopt-a-Chaplain, sending care packages to deployed chaplains. The group has received a large number of study books on Psalm 91, the "Soldiers Psalm." Along with the books came a supply of camo bandanas. These bandanas have the text of Psalm 91 printed on them, and that's what the chaplain is wearing.

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." - Psalm 91: 1-4

BTW . . . As we enjoy the transition into autumn here, so do our guys "over there." Highs for the next week are predicted to be just under 100 degrees, nighttime lows just over 70.

Pictures from Iraq

We don't hear from Dave too often, but he touches bases when he can. Recently he was able to send us a few pictures to share with family and friends. In addition to working at the Battalion Aid Station, Dave is now driving ambulances to transport patients between locations. As you'll see in the photos, these are pretty big vehicles. Dave says the road feel is a lot like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.

Communications were down for a while, but Kelly was able to talk to Dave recently. He said he spent a week out on patrol with a rifle company, and the group included one of the doctors and a physician's assistant. They shared medical knowledge with Dave, and he was able to teach them some patrolling techniques and Iraqi customs.

Recently, Dave and some of the Marines in the line company were able to have dinner with a local Sheik, which he said it was "very different, but a really cool experience."

Work at the Battalion Aid Station has been really busy this past week with sick calls. He doesn't have time to respond to all the mail he gets, but sends his appreciation to all of you.

The letters and emails and packages are all wonderful expressions of love, which is a great boost to morale. (And not just Dave's -- he shares his bounty with the other guys.) Please continue your prayers for our Doc!

Things are Better the Second Time Around

Temperatures are still pushing 120 degrees, and it's still a war zone, but living conditions for Dave's battalion are tremendously better than last summer.

Dave says you can immediately tell the first-timers from the veterans. The newbies talk about how terrible it is, and the returnees like Dave are saying, "Is this really Iraq? It's so much better!"

They have a chow hall (three cooked meals a day instead of MREs), real beds (Dave shares a room with two other guys), some air conditioning, internet access, phone access, and a lounge with foosball and a television.

Dave said he has built himself a bookshelf in his room, and we've sent a bulletin board to go with it. He loves to display pictures from home.

His current assignment is working the night shift (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) in the Battalion Aid Station. Sleeping during the day is difficult, but he's beginning to get used to it. (Except when the roommate comes in to watch a DVD on his computer.)

We are thankful that so far most of Dave's work has involved small accidental injuries and minor illnesses. And we pray that things remain relatively peaceful.

Dave continues to appreciate our prayers, and would also enjoy receiving things to help his time away from home go by quickly, like letters and photos from friends and family.

Back in Iraq Again

Dave's battalion left on Saturday for Iraq, by way of Bangor, Maine. Just like last year, they were greeted by the Freeport Flag Ladies, who took lots of pictures and loaned cell phones to the troops so they could call their loved ones. Here's Dave mugging for the camera with two of his buds.



After a very short time in Kuwait, they pressed on to their final destination. On Tuesday morning, Kelly received a call from her hero saying that he had arrived safely. The conditions are much improved over his last deployment - he even has access to the internet and has been able to e-mail us a couple of times! Their current location has a chow hall and even some air conditioning and a recreation room. Much better, I think, than his last deployment where his first objective was to plan the latrine.

Due to the extreme climate change, a lot of the guys (including Dave) are suffering with URI issues. (That stands for Upper Respiratory Infection - and yes, Kathleen had to tell me that.)

He'd love to get cards and letters from friends and family so if you need his address, please contact us. Thank you for your prayers for both Dave and Kelly.

P.S. If you are in the mood, check out the link on the left (Military Humor).

Deployment Time . . . Again

The time we've all known was coming is now upon us. By the end of the month, Dave will be back in Iraq taking care of his Marines. Hopefully this deployment will carry with it somewhat less danger than last year's tour. Dave will be assigned to the Battalion Aid Station, rather than walking daily patrols with a rifle company. There will still be a good deal of movement, but not continuous.



Dave's great friend and Kelly's cousin, Dave Lindahn, who is an Army medic stationed in Germany, also heads for Iraq this week.




Good-byes are always painful. But Dave and Kelly have the comfort of knowing that there are so many of you out there - friends and family alike - who are encircling them with your love and holding them up in prayer. The Lord is good, and he keeps us sheltered under his wing.

Our Beloved Kelly

Our “Doc” Dave will be home in just a few short days! We’re excited, we’re anxious to see him, and we’re grateful for the Lord’s watchful care over him and his Marines. But in today’s blog entry, we want to talk about an unsung hero: our beloved Kelly.

In Proverbs 31 we read, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him, but help him all her life.”

Reading this passage naturally brings Kelly to mind for many reasons. Throughout Dave’s deployment (and even before), Kelly has shown herself to be loving, strong, cheerful, resourceful, supportive . . . in other words . . . a “virtuous and capable wife.”

At Dave’s request, Kelly willingly left her home and loved ones in California and moved to North Carolina to create and maintain a first home for herself and her new husband, a place that Dave could envision in his mind to help sustain him through the grueling months of war.

Kelly is also a hero in the communications department. She not only kept her husband supplied with letters, motomails, and care packages, but she consistently shared with us any news she received from overseas. She opened her heart freely and allowed us to share the good and the bad, the hopes and the fears, the joys and the sorrows. We often laughed, sometimes cried, and also prayed together.

We also award Kelly a medal for showing great courage in facing a class of 4-year-old tyrants and then in having the wisdom to know when to leave an impossible situation to find sane employment elsewhere.

In spite of the many stresses in her life, Kelly has maintained a cheerful disposition, a positive outlook, and faith that the Lord will see her through these trials. (OK, Kelly . . . we know you’ve got a flaw or two here and there, and this is getting gushy, but just indulge us, OK? We’re almost done. Promise.)

In July, Kelly came to California to be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. During that visit, we were able to spend time with Kelly and some of her family. It was a real joy to see the flow of love and mutual respect. Family has always been extremely important to Kelly, and now we enjoy the special blessing of being a part of her family.

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? Dave did! ! !

Third time's a charm

On Wednesday David called us (both home & cell), but we weren't home and didn't hear the cell phone ring.

Thursday he called again, but again we weren't home and didn't manage to pick up the cell phone in time.

So Friday (today) when he got off duty from walking post, he called when he KNEW we'd be home - 1:20 a.m. for us, 12:20 p.m. for him.

In between walking patrols and walking post (sounds like sentry duty?), David is studying hard for an oral & written exam he'll take at the end of the deployment earn his FMF (Fleet Marine Force Enlisted Warfare Specialist) pin. It's tough to study alone, as he's the only corpsman in his unit now. (Check out the FMF link to the left.)

He is very relieved to have been moved from his previous location. The group that is there now lost another Marine to an IED.

Dave said they are living in a stone house with dirt floors, but they have cots to sleep on, air conditioning (yea!), goat's milk to drink, and fresh meat to cook. And they've built a BBQ out of an old gasoline drum.

A new pair of feet is Dave's most urgent wish right now. He said his feet are really messed up with big blisters from walking patrol & post in old, dirty, stiff socks.

We are so looking forward to welcoming our "Doc" home again, and pampering him with fresh fruits & veggies, green salads, clean sheets, and being able to go barefoot if he wants! Just a few short weeks and he'll be back!

This deployment has been hard on David and Kelly, and on all of us who love them. Your continual prayers and good wishes have eased that burden tremendously. Thank you all!

Mutton, anyone?

Had a nice phone conversation with Kelly this morning (actually, ALL our conversations with Kelly are wonderful). David has been able to phone her much more often, which is really good news. Kelly says that he continues to sound upbeat and is definitely ready to head for home.

A really nice change for the guys is that they received a truckload of real food; chicken to barbeque and also frozen pizza that can be microwaved. (So I'm guessing that, duh, they must have access to a microwave; probably came in a box labeled: "Food Irradiation Device, Medium, One Each" and painted Olive Drab. More realistically, it was probably labeled as "Entrenching Tools."

Now I know that you are wondering about the title of this entry - I'm getting to that. As it turns out, the guys were out one day and "discovered" a sheep. No doubt, when you've lived on a ration of MREs for far too long, a sheep looks mighty like dinner at Grandma's. So . . . using euphemistic language, the guys pooled their culinary skillsets and provided a much-needed meal for the masses. Baaaaa baaaaaa . . . bye.
-- Kevin

Wake-Up Call

We had quite a surprise three hours ago. The phone rang at 1:50 a.m. and it was Dave, calling from Iraq. What a blessing, and a wonderful treat. Well worth the loss of sleep!

Dave sounded strong and in good spirits. He's making mental lists of things he wants to do, places to go, and people to visit when he gets home late next month. He and Kelly plan to make a trip to California and make the rounds (as time and energy allow). Yea! ! ! !

When he called, Dave had just finished his time on post (sounds like that means guard duty). They're doing 4 hours on, 12 hours off, plus walking foot patrols. He has also set up a mini Battalion Aid Station at their new location.

Dave again sends his thanks for all the wonderful packages, letters, motomails, and prayers. The location they're in now is even more remote than before. No mail coming in or going out at all, so no more packages. You can still send letters and motomails, and he'll get them when they get back to the big base.

Next Month!

Kelly received a phone call from Dave last week, and fortunately the connection held for a few minutes this time. Dave says that it is ok now to let people know that they'll PROBABLY be coming home in late September; unfortunately, this will probably be coupled with a fairly short turn-around and they may all have to go back in a few months.

Better news is that he and Kelly want to spend a couple of weeks in California in October! We may not let them go back. ;-)

His only request this time was that Kathleen and I send some jar cakes ( cakes baked in jars and sealed as if canning ) for his fellow Corpsman's birthday. So we put together a party pack and sent it off with the express wishes that his next birthday would be in much better surroundings.

Kathleen would like to include a few more pictures that Dave has sent so here they are. I hope you are all enjoying your summer.

NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH! ! ! !

Kelly just now called us, and Dave's company has permanently left the town where they've been since March. They've had many IEDs and numerous casualties in the past few weeks, but have now been moved to a much better place. We are so grateful, this sounds like a much safer location. Praise God!

The downside is that there's no mail going in and out of this location. They will only get mail when they can pick it up at the large base. Dave said it's best to stop sending packages now, but please keep the prayers, letters and motomails coming.

And now back to the pictures . . . .

Pictures from Iraq

Dave called Kelly Friday morning. He and his company were at Al Asad for a few hours because they are making their own supply runs now. It was also an opportunity to eat some fresh, healthy salad and get a haircut. Best of all, he was able to make a long phone call to Kelly on a REAL phone. What a blessing!

Kelly said that Dave asked her to pass along his gratitude for all the care packages. They not only meet many physical needs, but help him remember that he is loved and cared about by many people. Thank you, everyone!

The latest newsletter (for June) from the Charlie Company commander is posted online. The link is:
http://www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/Public%2FIIMEFpublic.nsf/sites/1bn2mar

Dave mentioned to Kelly that uniform regulations are being enforced much more strictly. No more mustaches and no more bandanas around the head to keep the sweat from dripping in their eyes. He's had to learn how to hold his mouth "just so" when he breathes, in order to avoid getting a mouthful of gnats.

Best of all . . . . Dave mailed Kelly the memory stick from his camera, and she sent us a few photos via email. Here they are:

This first picture was taken in April. The rest are from early to mid-May. Clicking on a picture will show you a larger version.















Thank you for your continuing to support Dave and ALL of our troops through prayer!

Call from Dave

We were blessed this morning with an early phone call from Dave! Yea! He was trying to call Kelly, but her phone was turned off during church services, so we got a turn. :-) He sounded very tired, but it was amazingly wonderful to hear his voice.

He appreciates all the support he's been getting - motomails, letters, packages are all wonderful. For those sending care packages, Dave says don't send any more shirts or underwear, but he still needs socks. He also now has access to a microwave, so microwavable foods like EasyMac are good to send. And he no longer wants toys to give to local kids.

Dave sounded very tired. The extreme heat is very wearing, and they are constantly going out on patrols. In the mornings, when it's time to get dressed, his cammies are still wet from the previous day's sweat.

Unfortunately, the battalion chaplain does not visit their outpost, so there are no worship services or prayer support for the guys in Dave's company. He says he's on his own for prayer, which is discouraging.

We didn't discuss timetables for his return but I know we are all looking forward to the end of this deployment. One of the things he's looking forward to when he gets home is being able to cook healthy meals.

Dave said that yesterday he was thinking a lot about the two weddings he was missing. Two good friends, Jon Hansen and Reeve Farmer, both got married. Dave wished he could have been here for those two wonderful events. And yes, Jon, we did tell him about the Star Wars music! :-)

Thank you all for continuing to write to Dave and pray for him as this dangerous time continues.

Charlie Company Newsletter

I discovered this morning that Dave's battalion has what appears to be a fairly new web site, and it includes a newsletter for each company.

The web site behaves a bit oddly, but it works. To get there, click on the link over to the left called "C Company Newsletter." It will take you to the 1st Battalion 2nd Marines web page. Scroll down that page and on the right side you'll see "C Co. Newsletter." That's Dave's group. Click on "Read More" and you'll see the whole newsletter and a few pictures.

Phone Call From Al Asad!

Kathleen and I had a most welcome phone call from Kelly on the 6th at a much more civilized time of day than the 4:00 am phone call that she received from Dave a couple days earlier. Well, WE certainly were interested in what the news was, so Kelly (have we mentioned how much we like this woman?!) dutifully relayed what she could.

Turns out that our son was having a very brief stopover at Al Asad Airbase which is the big base in western Iraq. He was able to get a haircut there and have a meal at the Burger King ( I have to wonder if they have the same menu; would you like your burger with one hump or two?) He was able to buy a phone card and therefore have a nice long conversation on a regular telephone, without the significant delays and aggravating signal drops that have bedeviled their conversations on the satellite phones.

It was great to hear from Kelly that Dave was in good spirits. That is so wonderful to hear! She says he has lost about 10 pounds, as he is usually only eating one meal a day and supplementing with snacks. He really appreciates the care packages; Kelly says that when he receives a package, he spreads all the contents out on his rack for an initial triage.

On the scarier side, the other corpsman in Dave's platoon stepped on an IED but miraculously was only slightly scratched on the lip and on his eye gear. We don't have any further details but this definitly sounds like a miracle and we are so thankful that the damage was not worse. Keep up the prayers! Well that's it from me for now . . . here's Kathleen with some further thoughts.

Oh . . . before I go, we want to congratulate Kelly on getting her diploma!!!! We're so proud!!!








Kathleen here . . .
Chaplain Johnson, who serves Dave's battalion, is one of the chaplains supported by the Adopt-a-Chaplain organization. Chaplain Johnson made a special request for sewing supplies to give to the women of the local Iraqi village to help them make children's clothing and household items. Of course, we put out the call to our network of quilting friends. So far we've received 2 used sewing machines, many yards of fabric, and plenty of pins, seam rippers, and zippers. We could still use scissors and sewing machine needles.

Doc's Wife & Doc's Mom

A week ago, I flew to North Carolina to spend some time with Dave's wife, Kelly. Words can in no way convey how blessed and honored I feel to be able to call this wonderful young woman my daughter (OK, technically daughter-in-law)!

We spent Sunday with my cousins Laddie & Edna Munger in Cary, NC. They welcomed us with love, and we had a great visit. The photo to the right was taken in their beautiful back yard.

While we were in Cary, Dave called twice! Both times, reception went bad and we lost connection after just a few minutes, but I did get a chance to talk with him a bit. It was difficult for several reasons: the reception is very poor and unstable; there is a delay of several seconds in the transmission, so you tend to either talk over each other or have long pauses; and I was so excited and nervous that I forgot all the questions I wanted to ask, and forgot that the best thing was to just listen. But it was still a huge blessing to be able to hear my son's voice! Dave was able to call one more time when we were in Charleston, but all Kelly got was "Hi, it's me" and the line went dead.

Dave loves and appreciates the care packages he receives, and asked for a few specific things. His group is being housed in an old school building, and they were able to scrounge some lumber and build themselves some bunk beds. There's very little head space between bunks, but at least they're up off the ground. Dave asked us to send a foam pad to sleep on and the biggest battery-powered fan we could find. We also found out what specific kinds of underwear we can send.

There's no word on how things are going for Dave's unit. He doesn't like to talk about it on the phone, but needs to hear familiar voices.

Monday morning, Kelly and I headed for "home" in Jacksonville and went shopping for Dave at Extreme Outfitters and Walmart. We filled two boxes with a 10" fan, a self-inflating air mattress, a couple of sheets (olive drab, of course), a battery-powered hair trimmer, some underwear, snacks, and lots of batteries.

(Here's a care package idea, folks: The fan takes 8 D-cells, and will only run for a couple days on each set of batteries.)

Tuesday morning early, we headed for Charleston, South Carolina, for a "girls-only road trip." Along the way, we stopped to mail our care packages.

Once in Charleston, we went to the Visitor's Center, then took a carriage tour of the historic downtown area, followed by a trip to the old City Market, a great seafood dinner, and a 2-hour leisurely stroll around some of the old homes and the waterfront. It was beautiful, and the weather was mild.



Wednesday, we took a guided walking tour that included tours of two old mansions, then after a late lunch we drove up the river to tour a plantation with fabulous gardens. Kelly figured up that we walked for seven & a half hours that day!

While in Charleston, Kelly and I coordinated our outfits, wearing shirts we had bought for each other. On Tuesday we were "Proud Mom of a Navy Corpsman" and "Head Over Heals for my Corpsman." On Wednesday, our shirts said, "Doc's Mom" and "Doc's Wife" with Dave's picture. Many people stopped us to ask about our Corpsman, and the universal response was, "Thank you both for your sacrifice, and please thank him for his service to our country." It's wonderful to feel the appreciation and understanding.

It's good to be home again, but it was hard to leave Kelly. She is amazingly brave and strong, and she's on a mission to "keep the home fires burning." She makes sure Dave knows that she and their home are waiting for him when he returns. As you pray for Dave's strength and safe return home, please remember Kelly, too.

P.S. Click on the picture above to read the back of her WAY cool sweatshirt!

Calls to Kelly

Dave was able to call Kelly both Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon. A satellite phone has been installed at their camp, but the line to use that phone is always very long, and Dave is really busy. In fact, he'd had no sleep in between the two calls.

There's no real news to report, except that Dave is OK and doesn't want us to send any more clothes. Regulations about what they can wear ( including underwear) are really strict. Much of what he has received in care packages either does not fall within guidelines or is too tight.

Dave is longing for home, for sleep, for loved ones, for healthy food, and for being able to cook again. It's a huge boost to his spirits to know that Kelly is in North Carolina making a home for them, and will be there when he returns. Bless you, Kelly!

For those of you sending occasional care packages, canned fruit would be a great addition.

The best thing we can do for Dave, in addition to constant prayer, is to write letters telling of day-to-day things. Our ordinary activities are what he'd like to hear about, even if they seem boring to us. If you don't like to write letters, ask me about Motomail. It's fast & easy, almost like email!

A letter from Dave

We received our first letter from Dave this week. It brought both joy and heartache, and was a true blessing to read. He told us that what is keeping him going is the great love he feels from his wife, his family and God.

Here is a portion of the letter:
"I have seen His hand at work many times already. Even the non-believers have stated that they have experienced a miracle. Indeed, it was a miracle that we took zero casualties when my squad was ambushed."

Dave added more detail about the ambush in a letter to Kelly. His squad was out on patrol. (They go out looking for weapons caches and IEDs.) A ways up the road, four gunmen in two separate houses started firing automatic weapons. At first, due to the distance, it sounded like firecrackers and kicked up dust all around and between the guys.

Dave said he could hear the bullets whizzing past him. Acting on adrenaline, he jumped aside into some barbed wire, and barely felt it at the time. The guy in front of Dave was hit in the chest where his Kevlar vest protected him. The guy behind Dave was grazed in the back of the leg. The lieutenant fell down, which saved his life (don't know exactly how, those are Dave's words).

The Marines began returning fire, but the other guys had an escape route planned, and took off in a truck.

Dave's company has suffered several casualties, but no deaths. Four of those casualties were the result of a suicide bomber.

Dave's closing advice to all of us were to cherish each other, because life is too precious to be taken for granted.

Out on Patrol

While Dave's platoon was out on patrol Friday, they had to stop for supplies, so he had an opportunity to call Kelly. (With the time difference, it was 4:30 a.m. for her.) He said they haven't been able to shower for weeks, and he's pulling chunks of dirt out of his head (not sure what that means?). His back is hurting alot because they have to wear their 60-pound Kevlar vests and other gear all the time, and they're sleeping on wood planks, which means not much sleep.

Dave says the packages he's received have been wonderful, and the motomails and letters lift his spirits tremendously.

Of course, no water for showers also means no water for laundry, so he asked us to send cheap marine-green t-shirts, PT shorts, and white tube socks that he can wear for a while and then throw away.

Once again, Kevin gave me a wise perspective on the situation. He said that if Dave is talking about being smelly and dirty and tired and sore, that probably means he hasn't been having to treat wounds from bullets & bombs. Better to have some personal discomfort to think about than the loss of a wounded Marine that he might have been unable to save.

In addition to having her husband in a war zone, Kelly is having a lot of stress with her new job as a preschool teacher. Please keep her in your prayers also.

BOX 4,000 for 4,000 has arrived at TQ!!!!

This is the special care package (number 4000) that Kathleen and Kelly helped pack for the Adopt-A-Chaplain organization; see the March 22 entry in this blog.

Chaplain McLaughlin is the chaplain who overseas all the other chaplains for the 4000 Marines in western Iraq. Thus the label on the box: "Box 4000 for 4000."

You can read an article about it in the Marine Corps news by going to the link below.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/748F32988B8AC26D852572B50034CE2F?opendocument

Thank you all for your continuing support of our troops!

Quick check-in

Kelly just called from the Phoenix airport. She's on her way from California back to North Carolina, and wanted to let us know that she received a very brief phone call from Dave at 3:00 this morning.

Apparently there's been some alarming news coverage of his Area of Operations, and the troops were given the opportunity to make a 5-minute phone call to assure loved ones that they're OK.

He's in a very remote location, so we don't know the logistics of how the phone calls were arranged. We're just extremely grateful to receive some news! Kelly said there was a lot of noise in the background, probably all the other guys standing in line for their turn to use the phone.

Dave said to please keep sending letters and motomails, because that's what keeps him going. The mail is slow, arrives infrequently in large batches, and is appreciated more than we can imagine.

(He also said he is "stinky and gross," and could we please send t-shirts, underwear, and wet wipes.)