Posted on 02/24/2009 5:01:04 PM PST by grame
There are currently 142,000 troops in Iraq, but some Hoosier troops are back on American soil. Stout Field was packed with hundreds of families Tuesday for a homecoming celebration honoring 170 soldiers.
But these soldiers are also missing two of their own: Sgt. Gary Henry and Spec. Jonathan Menke. Henry, who was from Indianapolis, and Menke, of Madison, died in Baghdad last August after debris from an improvised explosive device detonation on an overpass fell onto their vehicle.
The Castor family knows their son Gary is a hero.
"He was quite an individual, touched lives that we'll never know," said Marajo Castor. "Your life is never going to be the same, but we just want his memory kept alive, and we want to help his children get through life knowing what a great man their dad was, and just strive to live their life as well as he lived his."
In their grief, they're living like Gary would have wanted by giving back to others.
"This group is so important to us. They are phenomenal in what they have done and what they have meant to our family. Gary would want us to be here for them. We feel a closeness that is undescribable, and we're here to keep Gary's memory alive and to welcome his brothers and sisters home for him," said Castor.
The soldiers were training Iraqi police in security operations.
(Excerpt) Read more at WTHR.com ...
I guess I could change my tag line now. Even though they still need prayer for the adjustments and the grieving still left to do.
God Bless You and your family. Prayers up, because you’re right; adjusting back to civilian life is not easy.
We just sent off 3,200 Wisconsin soldiers to Iraq last week. I hope and pray that they’ll ALL be home this time next year. :)
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