I don't know if anyone remembers...

[Ranger Mom]

...a post I made a couple of years ago regarding my cousin John who was in Iraq and his Humvee was blown up and he suffered a bad back injury...at the time we didn't think he would be able to return to any active duty in the military.

Here is the update thread (http://bbs.3adownlow.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=25343&highlight=cousin+iraq+back) I found that I had posted about it.

Anyway...he ended up going back to Iraq after he recovered....we found out right before Christmas that he had been injured again, this time working on a Bradley Fighing vehicle...he crushed his lower leg.

The letter below is one that was emailed out by his brother-in-law (he is married to John's sister Ananda (pronounced A-non-da) who is stationed over there somewhere also.

I thought it was rather powerful:

[Ranger Mom]

Merry Christmas From the Sand!!! Have I got a story for you. It may seem
small to you, but it was big to me..

This has to be one of the most miraculous Christmases I have ever had in my
life. Hard to believe because of my location...It all began the 24th at
0500 Iraq time (2000 Oklahoma time)when I awakened to the glow of my little
Christmas tree that my son John had sent for me to put together. He thought
that it was extremely important that I have one. He was right. Just in
front of the tree sat a small, gold ring. On this gold ring, stood four
candles positioned equally around with the ring's circumference with one
white candle standing divinely in the middle. As soon as my eyes cracked
open, I knew that it was Christmas Eve Day and I was going to get to
experience God's love and celebrate his son's birth for another year. Then
reality sat in and I remembered that I was not going to see my family, see
Oklahoma, nor would I be able to participate in my favorite part of
Christmas... The magic. I would receive no magic nor was I in a position
to share any. Yeah, I could order presents on line and have my family give
some things to Ananda and the boys that I really wanted them to have, but I
wasn't there to take part. On this very unique Christmas Eve Day, the
Christmas magic found me.

After I showered and assumed the daytime alert, I sat down to drink a cup of
coffee following breakfast. My crew and my wingman's crew sat and discussed
not only what was going on in the AOR and possibilities of where and when we
might go that day, but also when we were going to start the cooking for the
squadron's Christmas dinner that we all volunteered to do. The day prior we
had thawed turkeys, made a marinade out of the basics for the steaks, and
thrown some pineapple and 7UP on the shrimp. I know you've never heard of
it, but it sure makes the shrimp taste good. We sat and sat and sat until
time to cook.
The turkey frier was set up, the first bird went in, followed by the second,
then the third. I had the charcoals smoldering in our makeshift grill (That
once was a propane tank) and threw the potatoes on the grill for cooking.
It was around 1530 UTC+3. 0630 Oklahoma time when the call came. We were
to go immediately to level 2 with no notice, no information, nothing. So,
we dropped it all, passed quick cooking instructions to those left standing
wondering if they would eat that evening, and cruised out to the aircraft.

We sat in the birds on external power and watched the time click away as we
listened to the fight over our FM and SATCOM radio. I can't tell you what
happened but I will tell you we went to work right before dinner. We had to
help some guys that do some stuff, you know. Anyway, you know me when I
talk about the fight. We got back and there was some more going on and we
were now 1 hour after dinner time. We can't very well call back over secure
SATCOM to ask the guys at home if dinner is good so we sat, and sat and sat
some more. At about 1930 our time this strange, well lit Dodge truck pulled
up with not a very jolly old elf, but a very trim, pressed, and
distinguished looking man in ABU uniform with a Santa hat atop his head. He
and his "elves"
jumped out of the truck and delivered a stocking to each member of each
crew.
At this time it was 0 degrees Celsius outside, you do the math. It was
cold.
We were very
greatful, shook their hands and they departed to continue their "cheer
spreading."

Needless to say, my flight was a little disgruntled at this time because we
have now missed dinner, dessert, and the fun we had planned. Even moreso
because we were the guys who had made all the preparations for dinner eat
seemed a bit unfair. Well, the other crews arrived after their warm meal,
drink, and fun to relieve us. All with smiles on their faces and perfectly
content. I passed off the intel on current operations to the oncoming
flight lead and proceeded inside with my crew.

We got to the "MGM", or movie watching area, and sat down not expecting
anything, but those that stayed behind prepared each of us a full plate of
of turkey, steak, potatoes, and sweet potato pie.
It was cold, but it was terrific. We sat there and watched a movie and all
began to warm up, and each guy, slowly, began to cheer up. Then, all of us
being tired, were off to bed...... Except me. I had received an email from
Ananda about her brother John who had been injured while working on a
Bradley fighting vehicle on the afternoon of the 23rd. Until now, I hadn't
heard anything about this.
All I knew was that he was in the Kuwait hospital, no where close to me, and
I didn't know what was going on with him. Also, my Mother-in-law, wife, and
sister-in-law wanted me to see him when his aircraft rolled through Balad,
where I am to make sure he is fine to put all of their minds at ease.
So, resourceful Evan went into action. I had a purpose, a mission, and a
reason to not think about my loneliness on Christmas Eve because I had a
great friend and my brother-in-law coming through very soon even though the
circumstances weren't great. John Cram can't finish a deployment without
getting hurt. Injuries seem to just find him. It is crazy!! God Love him.

I started trying to find anyone that could help me find where he was, when
he was coming through, and on which aircraft he would be. That is tough
around here because Balad is the number one busiest military air field in
the WORLD.
My chances are slim of seeing him. I walk over to talk to Doc Homan, the
64th ERQS Flight Doc, and he makes a phone call right after I tell him the
whole story. He calls a dispatch nurse over at the hospital and she lets us
know pretty much all there is to know about John. " I found him, sir!. He
is still in Kuwait, scheduled to arrive in Balad at 0830, he has a leg
injury, and the family has been notified." Doc asked if there was a flight
number, but she didn't have one. So, from there I went to call Ananda and
tell her all the info I had received and she started to feel a little
better. After speaking with her, Doc and I drove over to where the AIREVAC
aircraft usually park just so I would be familiar with the whole operation
the next morning.
He explained to me how to blend in and not stand out to anyone that might
matter when they were shuffling patients on and off the aircraft. We got it
all figured out and returned to our compound. I was exhausted, so I
returned to my hooch, set my alarm for 0500, just 5 hours away and went to
bed.

The alarm went off, I jumped up because I had to meet my honey bun Ananda on
video conference at 0600. Kara, Steffen, and I had set it up just to
surprise Ananda and the boys on Christmas Eve in OK. It was amazing. I
called, they picked up and I got to see all three of their beautiful faces
for the first time in 2 months. We talked and talked, and the line kept
dropping, but it was perfect nonetheless. After we got cut off for the last
time I ran to the brief for the next alert period. I had arranged for
another flight lead to sit my alert for the first 2 hours of my alert
period, and for the Commander to allow me to go over to the other side to
meet John. I arrived at about 0800 over at the north flight line to wait
for his C-17 to arrive. Finally, a
C-17 rolled up at 0835, and I was so excited that I might get to see him
before he left for Germany to have surgery and then continue to the states
for some much needed rehab. As the aircraft taxied up to park, patient
transports, and support vehicles rolled up to meet it. Fortunately, one of
those vehicles belonged to one of the base Chaplains. His info is below.
He asked if I needed a ride and where I was going. I of course said sure,
because if you show up with God on your side, everything will be just fine.
We parked right under the left wing of the C-17, got out, and met the Lt Col
who was in charge of patient movement in and out of Balad. She asked who I
was and the Chaplain politely stepped in to pass the info that I shared with
him on our short drive. She said, "Well let's see if we can find him." I
stepped onto the stairs that I am all to familiar with, walked up, and there
was the entire medical team inside hustling and bustling around. Probably
10 flight nurses and about 5 docs. I looked around to find John as soon as
I could. I didn't see anything but litters in the front part of the plane
then looked back, and there he was. On the bottom rack, leg all wrapped up,
and talking as loud as he could just to be heard over the noise in the back
of this monstrous jet. He looked forward as I walked toward him, he shook
off his morphine haze, and he said, "hey Brother!" I immediately dropped to
my knees next to him, I hugged him, there might have been a tear or two (but
men don't do that), and we began to talk just like brothers and old friends.
I will never forget it.


CONTINUED....

[Ranger Mom]

Believe what you will, but here is my hypothesis. I believe in the power of
God, the power of love, and the power of family. I believe that for those
who believe and wait on the lord, good things will come. He will wrap you
in the safety of his arms and carry you safely through the fight. I believe
that if you truly seek his help, it will come. God put all of those people
there at the right time to help me in my quest. I believe them all to be
saints, angels, whatever you want to call them, but they helped me find him.
All of us succeeded. I held John's hand as we talked, gave him drinks of
water, the chaplain prayed with us, took our picture, and we had a chicken
sandwich together. More importantly, I brought him a stocking full of
goodies to keep him busy in the hospital, and I was pretty sure he slept
through most of Christmas. We had a great time for just over an hour, then
he began to fade into his morphine slumber, so I said a silent prayer for
him while his eyes were closed, gave him my toboggan hat to wear on the
flight, and I returned to my war.

If you hadn't noticed in the story above, the magic of Christmas was all
around me, but I chose to ignore it. The tree my little boy had sent for
me, the advent wreath that my cousin Ben had sent, the cooking for the
squadron that I got to be a part of, the video conference with Ananda, the
emails, getting to see John Cram, and the overall power of God that was
moving around me. All of which I chose to accept as ordinary. I missed the
magic of Christmas because I was trying too hard to find it.

When you view the pictures above you will see two men who admire and respect
one another very much, not only because we are family, but also because we
are brothers....

I pray your Christmas is filled with magic, love, peace, and as much family
as you can get your hands on.

God's speed,

Evan

[Ranger Mom]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/KRSimmons/John-Evan4.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/KRSimmons/John-Evan3.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/KRSimmons/John-Evan2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/KRSimmons/John-Evan1.jpg

[Ranger Mom]

Another ironic thing.....he is now at Fort Hood. He met up with my nephew, who just finished boot camp and arrived at Ft. Hood on the December 28th.

When John got there, he had yet another family member there to greet him!!

[pirate4state]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Awesome story, thanks for sharing!!

[UPanIN]

Thank you for sharing.

May God bless and protect our troops.

[44INAROW]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
Another ironic thing.....he is now at Fort Hood. He met up with my nephew, who just finished boot camp and arrived at Ft. Hood on the December 28th.

When John got there, he had yet another family member there to greet him!!

cool beans - thanks for sharing :)

[sinton66]

Evan could easily have a career in writing. That was very good. God bless both of them and their families.