Hi - new here

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2007
Hi - new here
4
Fri, 07-06-2007 - 10:02pm
Hi! A club that I hate to join, but it will be nice to have people to understand. I lost my youngest brother Andy on April 21, 2007. He was only 29 years old. He was a Green Beret - medic in the special forces. He had gone to Iraq twice and came home safely. He had been out of the military (sort of) for about 1 1/2 years. He was in a special forces guard unit. He was in college and was planning to test to become a member of his local fire department. He had a beautiful girlfriend and they were very happy together. He ran all the time, worked out several times a week, biked, etc. In great shape. He had ran several marathons in the past and was training to run another. On the morning of April 21, he ran an 11 mile training run to prepare for the next weekend's marathon. He ran with a few friends. He had been running more to prepare than them, and they said he was talking the whole time, in a great mood, driving them nuts because they weren't able to talk as they ran. When they finished the 11 miles, he complained of cramps in his feet and went to walk it off. His friends proceeded to where everyone else was hanging out as they finished. They came back a few minutes later and couldn't find him. They got his truck that they all rode in and drove around looking for him. Someone said, "A guy collapsed and they took him to the hospital." They figured since Andy was a medic, he was helping out and had rode in the ambulance with whoever the guy was. His friends went to the hospital. An EMT buddy of theirs told them that it was Andy who collapsed. They could never get so much as a pulse. His friend, who served with him in the Army, went to see his body. He said he looked all over him and couldn't find a knick on him. Nothing looked wrong with him. An autopsy was performed, but we still don't have results yet. We're guessing a blood clot, something like that. I doubt it's a heart condition because of all the strenuous training he'd gone through in the military - if anything would kill him it would be that.
Since his death we have learned of the many military honors he was given - too humble to tell anyone about them while he was alive. He was my baby brother, an uncle to my two little girls. He was handsome and smart, brave and kind, and the funniest, most laid back guy you could ever meet. I will miss him forever. I still am in shock. Maybe I always will be. How can someone so alive be gone. His funeral was with full military honors and was beautiful (if you can call a funeral that). I'm just finding it all hard to believe, to deal with, to understand. If you made it this far, thank you for reading this!
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2004
In reply to: were3
Fri, 07-06-2007 - 10:46pm

(((((((HUGS)))))))


Welcome...and yes, I read it to the end.


You have certainly joined a group you never wanted to be in, but be assured that you have found a soft place to land.


I am Beth, one of the cls here. My Mama died almost 6 years ago (next week) and my sister died in December 2004.


Your brother sounds like he was a wonderful man.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2007
In reply to: were3
Sat, 07-07-2007 - 11:46am

Welcome to the board. We here have been through losses and can truly understand how you are feeling so stick around.

I am so sorry for your loss. It always amazes me the stories of soldiers who go to war and return safely only to lose their life an ironic way. Reminds me of a story my Uncle told me as a child about how one of his fellow soldiers in the Korea War fought on Pork Chop Hill and survived only to die on the ship returning to the states of an appendicitis attack. IRONIC.....

You have all my hugs and sympathy and I hope that you can find some peace with this. You won't be in shock forever and eventually you will get use to it...that is what I call it...getting use to it. Loss is painful for life I am sorry to say because of the intensity in which you loved your baby brother. How you handle that dictates your true character. Putting one foot in front of the other is so important right now especially since you have a beautiful family and you know how your brother would have expected you to proceed.

I hope this helps...he sounded like an amazing young man with a bright future and God Bless him for serving our country.

Kiki

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2004
In reply to: were3
Wed, 07-11-2007 - 12:49pm

Welcome to our board, (((((Were3))))).

AcornLeaves
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-15-2006
In reply to: were3
Thu, 07-12-2007 - 4:27am
Hello were3,
Welcome to a club that no one wants to belong to! I also am fairly new having lost my husband May 22, 2007. I can relate to the military funeral. I had a baby brother that spent 20 yrs in the Navy and died about 7 months before his retirement went into effect. He had a wonderful service that the Navy put together. It is a huge shock when someone that young just drops. My brother was only a few yrs older than yours and he left a wife and 2 youngs kids. The only consulation is that your brother was very happy with life and he didn't suffer at all. My husband suffered with throat cancer and I would have rather not see him go through that. They say the good ones die young so your brother must have been very good. It has been almost 8 yrs since my brother died and I still think of him everyday and you will also. I get through it by remembering the good times we had together and the comfort that I will see him and my husband again someday(I hope!) Perhaps you can keep his memory alive by setting up a scholorship fund for a young person pursuing a carrer as an EMT. or something in that or the firefighter field. I am not in a position to do anything like that but wish will all my heart I could for my husband. I will keep you in my prayers. Linda

Linda