CityView Magazine

12 | May/June 2015 Afghanistan. Son's stories are usu- ally related with the teller's eyes cast down and with vocal tones reduced from their normal tim- bre. ey include a buddy's clothes stained by blood. ey include field hospitals. ey conclude in a cemetery in Alabama and the placement of a body that once housed a soul. ere are broken-heart- ed parents. ere is a permanent grief. at son has a sis- ter. She graduated from Davidson College, odd- ly enough. She is tall and pretty. She is funny. She loves Hawaii. She loves the Rockies. She dreams out-loud of marriage and per- haps silently of motherhood. Her em- ployer is the United States Army. She flies Chinook helicopters. Today, she is flying her Chinook in Iraq. I do not know if, aer she flew today, she laugh- ingly recounted landing on a postage stamp or whether she has a story that will require eyes to be cast down dur- ing the telling of it. I just know that she is painfully away. I just know that the only help I really have to offer is prayer. I should have been working. When I initially pulled up the Internet, my intent was surely to progress to the County GIS website to look up some tax value or zoning code. e headline stopped me though. e story was a synopsis of several interviews with sol- diers who had returned home from the region of cast down eyes. Its thesis was their fatigue with total strangers walk- ing up to them and thanking them for their service. e story was careful to not indict the well meaning ones who did the shoulder tapping. e story was more a description of silent battles some soldiers fight aer the shooting has stopped. Even the guys in the inter- views seemed to understand that peo- CW2 Emily King flies Chinook helicopters for the United States Army Parent / Child Classes · Pre-K & Grade School Gymnastics · Dance · Karate Sports Skills · Awesome Birthday Bashes · Parents' Survival Nights · Camps Gymnastics skills that improve independence and coordination. Or as they see it, The Little Gym reach their greatest potential. Structured lessons, unique themes and a nurturing environment build confidence during each stage of childhood. Call or schedule a free introductory class online. The Little Gym of Fayetteville 4011 Sycamore Dairy Rd, Ste 105 Fayetteville, NC 28303 (910) 223-3496 Enrolling now for Summer Camps and Classes!

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