Many months later his team Leader Sgt W would tell me that during playoff in Jan. 08 he was up in the middle of the night alone watching TV..

“Hey Phillips, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“It’s the Packers”

As if that explained everything.

I laughed when the story was told me.  I can see him alone in the TV room at the FOB in Iraq watching the playoff game.. yelling at the play. Micheal was such a huge Packer fan.  I guess that comes from the years of living in Green Bay just a few blocks from Lambeau field. And I am sure watching them play was a connection to home for him.

Honestly there is not much in life that doesn’t in some way bring back a memory or remind me of Micheal but certain things really open the flood gates of emotions and make the emptiness and missing him palatable. Most of the time I can watch the Packers and be ok. Tonight however I miss Micheal very much.  I wish he was here with me yelling at the TV and cheering the Packers on.

In an odd way watching the Packers play is a small connection to Micheal no one can ever take from me. Someday I will go back to Green Bay and watch the Packers play live.  Not sure how but when I do I will find a way to honor Micheal and leave his mark on Lambeau field.

Go Pack Go.

Footnote:

It just occurred to me.. I am going to ask the Packers to all wear a rubberband on their wrist in memory of Pokey and all his Fallen brothers during one game this season.

Well a while back a Father of a Fallen Marine sued those who intruded upon his son’s funeral.  And he won.  But in an appeal the decision was overturned and now the group that protested his son’s funeral are to be paid legal fees by him adding insult to injury.(Story Below)

I am sending a donation in to help this Man.  He has given enough to this nation… the very least we owe him is a few dollars to help with this.I have not confirmed this link to make donation at but it has come to me through reliable sources  American Legion Burn Pit

Saturday was our 6^th day of vacation in California. ( great vacation by the way)  and we decided to go to Santa Monica Pier.  We started with the promenade and did a little shopping. We enjoyed the street performers and was having a really nice time.. till we hit the pier. Not sure why but I knew something was up. I felt it. I looked down on to the beach when we hit the pier and there it was.. the anti war protest.. hundreds of crosses.. the flag draped coffins.  I knew somewhere down there in the mist of it my son’s name was on one of the crosses. I felt as if someone had slapped me and punched me in the gut.  My first instinct was to go down onto the beach and confront those putting this display on.   I thought better of it. I knew if I did in the emotional state I was in I would end up in jail and those asshats were not worth it.

I wanted to go and ask those holding this event if they could name just one name on the crosses they displayed. I wanted to know if they cared so much for the  Fallen if they ever considered the affect on the families of those who they claimed to care so much about.  I wanted to ask if a single penny they raised went to take care of my son’s brothers or their families.

I knew my son better than anyone and I know he would have been mortified to have his name used in such an manner. I was physically affected seeing this anti war protest.  It is an experience I never want to go through again but I know I will. And I know that in the future I need to be prepared to deal with it in a less emotional manner.

Fact is these anti war protesters who say they care so much about the troops don’t give a shit about them.  If they did they would take in consideration the people those who serve loved and who love them. All I can say to them is next time you want to hurt the families of the fallen just slap us.. it hurts less.

I can’t help but go back to the conversations we had in the days before he was killed.  Mostly I remember how tired he was. I remember him telling me about a father and son who had been hit by and EFP by the “soulless bastards”. He was so upset by that.  “They were just going to work mom. No one deserves what happened to them for just going to work. That kid was no more than 12.”  He never said but I think he knew them from patrolling in the town.  The other guys won’t talk about that incident except to say it was bad.. really bad.  Not sure why that tale sticks with me. Maybe because it was so similar to what happened to Micheal. Maybe because that was the first time I had heard of an EFP and knew it was something he feared.  Maybe because I could hear his frustration with humanity when he talked about it.  He was too young to see such ugliness.  In fact I told him that.  He told me “No one was old enough to have to see this shit.”

When I find myself in those memories I try to put them away and focus on times when he was home and being so very Pokey. Setting off fireworks in the backyard the day we moved into this house. I told him if the cops showed up he was answering the door… sure enough the cops were called by one of our new neighbors. And I laughed as I told him the door was for him. The little shit talked his way out of the ticket. He told them he was visiting from Tennessee and didn’t know it was illegal to set off fireworks and stopped when I told him. He had lived here most of his life but he forgot that part when talking to the cops.  I suppose that he still had on his ACU pants and dogtags on helped.  And of course his charming irresistible grin. His smile made you want to become his best friend instantly.  I miss that smile.

It’s been two years since you were taken from us Micheal and I still miss you.

On Sept. 11, 2001 3164 people died in the attacks. More than 90 countries lost citizens that fateful day. So again I ask whose war is this?

The Muslim terrorist are not centering out Americans. They are targeting anyone from any country that does not believe as they do and does not live their lives as muslims. And being muslim will not keep you safe from their acts of terror. Click on this Link to the 12 faces of Sharia Law.(Graphic) to see how a woman who refuses a marriage proposal is treated by muslims. To me this is Humanity’s war. This is the time when if good men do nothing evil will win. All people who have any humanity should be calling this their war. This is not a disagreement between two nations this is a battle of good and evil. I have read extensively the statements of those who have left the practice of Islam and one of the things that stood out to me is that when they were able to read and understand the quran they realized how hateful and wrong the religion is. There are those in parts of the world who will never know the true words of the quran. To them is it simply a way of life and they have no true evil intent. They are simply surviving in a culture that they know nothing different. And yes there are even those who practice islam who will only find the good of it and implement it. About now someone reading this is scream there is no good in islam… to them I say… Islam does focus on strong family ties and when not bastardized by extremist that can be a good thing and something we should all strive for. You have to understand that most people in the muslim world have been brainwashed to believe the evil translation and implementation of islam. So yes we need to reach these people through education not only of how we live but how they have been lied to and made to believe things about their faith that are not true.

Yesterday Michael Yon posted this picture on his website.

Major “Lucy” Lehker is an American Combat nurse whispering comforting words to a Canadian Soldier. ( By the way I have the upmost respect for Combat medical personnel . They are Angels and Heroes in one package) This picture is HUMANITY. It’s caring for and comforting another. It’s defending that which is right and good.

Looking at this picture I saw multiple nations represented. No one was worried about what uniform was worn they only knew that this was a fight that has to be fought. This war is not about fighting the Afghanistan people nor was Iraq about fighting the Iraqi people . It’s about stopping a virus of evil from spreading and giving all people a chance to live without fear and terror. Those over there fighting and risking their lives daily know this is not someone’s war. They understand that is a war against the inhumane and the war belongs to all of HUMANITY.

*** I want to thank Michael Yon for giving me permission to  use his photo in this blog. Please take a moment to visit Michael Yon’s site and read his dispatches. I respect his honest reporting of the War in Afghanistan. If you can please donate a few dollars to help him continue to bring the truth about what the Coalition Forces are doing over there. http://www.michaelyon-online.com/ Michael.. as always Take Luck **