Thanks from the 2-149th

October 9, 2008
Fort Collins, CO

Reality Check: While the rest of the USA and the world stresses over the price of gas, food, health care and other sundry and mundane things, while others wonder about how politics will affect their tiny little part of the economy... while the majority sit around watching the debates on TV and argue about the merits of our not too stellar Presidential candidates - somewhere in a distant land, a soldier faces the ultimate challenge - how to stay alive. And this captain struggles to find the words to bring comfort to family and friends of his fallen compatriots.

No matter how tough your life is - it does not compare to those who pay the highest price so that you can worry over the little things.

The Patriot Guard and various other volunteer-based, military-oriented organizations provide assistance where they can. They do their part to show respect for our armed forces -- one has to wonder, why is it so many of us do not?

Thanks for doing something, Dad.

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I've included the following in it's entirety as I received it.

From: Stillinger, Randall M. CPT NGTX
Thanks from the 2-149th

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Gentlemen,

Throughout the last week, as my battalion faced the tragedy of seven fallen soldiers in a helicopter crash on September 18th, the Patriot Guard Riders were present at all events. I continue to be amazed at the dedication of the people in your organization. I did my best to thank as many of you as possible, but time did not allow. I wanted to share with you an e-mail that I sent out to the families of our deployed soldiers after a long week of funerals and memorial services. That e-mail is below and I encourage you to pass it on as appropriate.

I appreciate all you do for us and look forward to seeing you at the battalion’s homecoming next June…and not before then (no offense).

CPT Randy Stillinger
Rear Detachment Commander
2-149th Aviation Regiment

Family and Friends of the 2-149th,

Well, it’s been a long two and a half weeks for our battalion. We were saddened and shocked with horrible news and have now said farewell to our fallen heroes. It’s been emotionally draining and tiring for all involved, especially for those who lost a loved one on September 18th. Please forgive the long e-mail ahead, but I wanted to take some time and roll up my thoughts and share a few things with you.

As I attended each funeral, I noticed many things that caught my attention. Many of them similar, some things different from one to another. There were seven flag-draped caskets, seven renditions of taps, seven 21-gun salutes, seven fly-overs, and seven families going through what is probably the most difficult time in their lives. While many things were similar, as is the custom of military honors, I took mental notes of the things that caught my eyes and ears at each event:

We started in Kingston , Oklahoma last Saturday to honor CPL Thompson. Kingston is a small town near the Texas border and has all of the great qualities of a small rural town. The size of the town meant that many people knew our fallen soldier on a personal basis. Other than the very large flag that hung from the ladder of a fire truck, the thing that truly impressed me was that, as we processed from the high school to the cemetery in a 3-mile long convoy, everyone stopped their cars and got out to pay respect. I also remember farmers taking a break from tending to their fields, taking their hats off, and then placing them over their hearts as the long line of cars went by. It is something that I will never forget.

Oklahoma City was our next destination for a memorial service to CW3 Rudolf. The thing on Sunday that initially caught my attention as we walked into the church was the honor guard spread out along the stairs in the front of the church. They stood there at parade rest for quite some time protecting our fallen soldier while honoring him and his sacrifice. After the service the entire congregation followed the family outside and stood there in silence as the four CH-47 Chinooks approached from the distance. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck and brought many to tears as the Patriot Guard stood by in silence.

That evening we made the long drive down I-35 to San Antonio to be there for the services and interment of SGM Ordonez on Monday. During the service, a beautiful song was done in Spanish. Although I don’t recall the name and didn’t understand the words, it was no less moving and poignant. I think the reminder to me was that we live in a multi-cultural country where people of all nationalities have stood up to defend American values and our way of life. After the drive to the national cemetery, we stood and watched as the horse-drawn caisson pulled up with the flag-draped casket. As they pulled away, I caught sight of the rider-less horse with empty boots turned around in the stir ups and was blown away by the significance of it all.

On Tuesday, many of us went to Denton , TX to honor and remember Mrs. Diane Reeves, the wife of SFC Ben Reeves. Many soldiers and co-workers showed up to support SFC Reeves and his family. We also went to pay respect to a wife who has endured the anxiety and fear of watching her husband deploy overseas, like so many are experiencing right now. After the service, we spread out to attend three different homecomings at three airports in the Dallas /Ft. Worth area for CPT Vallejo, CW2 Edwards, and SSG Mason. At each of the arrivals, the crew of the C-130 poked a large Texas flag out of an opening in the roof of the aircraft as it taxied to its parking space. When the aircraft stopped and shut down, the honor guards went on board led by a Chaplain. As our fallen heroes were carried down the ramp of the aircraft, reality set in for many who showed up to pay their respects.

Wednesday evening many of us split up to attend the visitations and prayer services for CPT Vallejo and CW2 Edwards. I was able to attend CPT Vallejo’s visitation and witnessed friends and relatives come up one by one to talk about their memories of CPT Vallejo over the years. It brought a very personal side to a sometimes regimented process that is typical in the military.

Thursday was a long day. The thing that stood out in my mind about CPT Vallejo’s funeral was when Hillary’s dad got up and sang a flawless rendition of The Lord’s Prayer. First of all, I don’t know how he maintained composure through it all, second he is an incredible singer who took the opportunity to share his talent with the congregation on a day that his son-in-law was being laid to rest. As the convoy of vehicles processed to the D/FW National Cemetery, the Ft. Worth Police Department literally shut down interstate highways to allow us to go by. Vehicles were not allowed to enter the ramps and others were not allowed to come up from behind. We had the highway to ourselves as the ever-present Patriot Guard Riders led the way.

CW2 Edwards arrived at the pavilion at the D/FW National Cemetery in a horse-drawn carriage reminiscent of the Wild West. After the carriage arrived we stood in silence as American flags waved in the breeze. We stood on a hill overlooking the cemetery and watched as Apache helicopters appeared on the horizon to pay tribute to CW2 Edwards, who spent many years serving in the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade. As the flight approached, one aircraft broke off to symbolize a missing man. The precision of the honor guard always impresses me as the flag was taken off the casket and folded with extreme care before being presented to the family by MG Mayorga.

After the interment of CW2 Edwards, we drove up to Springtown for the visitation for SSG Mason that evening. The funeral the next day (Friday) reminded me of Kingston , OK where we began this journey almost a week prior. Springtown is another small town whose residents turned out in droves to honor their hometown hero. The flags of the Patriot Guard flew proudly as we entered the church. A large replica of the Liberty Bell rang every 15 seconds or so adding an ominous feeling to the situation. It was incredible. Just like in Kingston , people lined the streets as the convoy went from the church to the cemetery. Policemen blocking traffic stood at attention and saluted as we went by. Others waved flags. I acknowledged their show of respect by mouthing “thank you” to them as they stood by. At the grave site, I vividly remember the bagpiper that marched slowly towards the casket playing Amazing Grace, stopped, and then turned marching away into the distance as he played a familiar Irish tune until he faded away completely.

Friday evening, SGT Cabiness and I drove back to Oklahoma City and spent the night there before going down to Norman , OK for the funeral of SGT Eshbaugh yesterday. Unfortunately one of the images that will be stuck in my mind will be that of a few hateful protesters who showed up to preach their hatred for those of us who wear the uniform, and those who support us. While it’s a shame that this image has been etched in my head (and almost regret even mentioning it here), I was able to look at the big picture and realize that these cruel people have the right to do what they were doing because soldiers like SGT Eshbaugh have died to ensure that they have that right. I also take comfort knowing that they were surrounded by the Patriot Guard Riders and shielded by members of the University of Oklahoma ROTC holding large American flags. After the funeral, we drove to Ft. Sill National Cemetery , the final resting place of SGT Eshbaugh and thousands of other heroes. The quiet rolling hills of the area were a fitting place for the final tribute to our seven soldiers who died on September 18th.

It’s been a long few weeks for all of us and I pray that we never have to go through it again. I realize that tensions are high among the families of the 2-149th and that many of you are still losing sleep because of fear and anxiety. Even as we were driving home yesterday, news on the radio mentioned another helicopter crash in Iraq and we started the process all over again. I know that many nerves were again rattled because the phone calls started coming in again. Thankfully for us, no 2-149th soldiers were involved and we were able to confirm that pretty quickly.

Because anxiety is very high among the families of deployed soldiers, I encourage you to seek help if it becomes unbearable. We have a great group of Army Chaplains in the area that are more than willing to take the time to meet with you to talk it out. They are trained professionals and know more than most people what you are going through. There are also a number of other resources available to deal with this stress and I encourage you to check out the resources on our web site or contact your company FRG Leader.

Finally, I want to thank the many people who stood up to respond when news of the accident came out:

First and foremost, thanks to the officers and NCOs who were called to do a difficult job on September 18th. Your role as Casualty Notification/Assistance Officers was critical in the care of the families of our fallen heroes. I know you will continue to care for them in the coming weeks and months.

As always, the FRG jumped into action and were there ready to support our soldiers, our families, and also the Rear Detachment as we handled the administrative and logistical details over the last few weeks. I appreciate the big cup of Starbucks coffee that appeared on my desk every morning. I’m disappointed that time usually didn’t even allow me to finish it.

Thanks to CPT Casterline, CPT Fuller, and CW2 Brite for coming up from Austin to assist with all of the administrative and logistical details. Thanks also to COL Meehan for taking the media by the horns and keeping them in line. We were definitely overwhelmed by this tragedy and your assistance made it all possible. I owe you all lunch.

Thanks to MSG Morgan and my staff for working many long hours. Since the battalion left in August we have been kept very busy with Hurricane’s Gustav and Ike, and now with this. They have stepped up to the mission and have been very supportive of me through it all.

Thanks to Chaplains Combs, Vaughn, Wallace, and Bender, and also to Reverend Bucy for stepping up to assist during a dark period in the life of the battalion. I asked Rev. Bucy, the father of one of our soldiers, to help out on the morning of the 18th and he proudly said yes. He was “baptized by fire” by the Army on a very difficult day. I appreciate all of the chaplains who have helped out over the last few weeks and appreciate the times that you pulled me aside to see how I was doing.

Thanks to my higher headquarters at the Brigade, Division, and State levels for responding to all of my requests and granting them without question. This was a group effort requiring work on all levels. COL Schultz, Brigade Commander for the 36th CAB, also made it to all seven funerals over the last week and has endured long hours to make it happen.

Thanks to Mrs. Terri Brock, Mrs. Tanya Kubista, and Chaplain Hokkanen for coming down from Minnesota to represent COL Brock (34th CAB Commander) and the rest of the 34th ID as they traveled with us to each funeral.

Thanks to LTC Harrison, W01 Snow, and our other friends in Oklahoma as we paid tribute to our heroes. Although we will butt heads on the football field in the coming weeks, it didn’t matter what side of the Red River you were on over the last two weeks. We went up there and they came down. It was mutual respect at its finest.

Finally, thanks for all of the calls and e-mails of encouragement from so many of you. It kept me going. I had the pleasure of meeting many of you during our travels and it was great to put faces with the names.

As we go forward with the mission, as we must, we can not forget the families of our fallen soldiers. As I met with them over the last few weeks, I assured each of them by saying that they are always in our battalion’s family, no matter what. One of the great aspects of the Army National Guard is that we take good care of our own people. This is true now more than ever. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Respectfully,
CPT Randy Stillinger
Rear Detachment Commander
2-149th Aviation Regiment

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Source: received via email from a Patriot Guard member in North Texas.

Texas Insider Article 09/23/2008 http://www.texasinsider.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4704">http://www.texasinsider.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4704 (dead link)

US Department of Defense Release http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12224">http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12224 (dead link)