Welcome Home Marine

Hello to all.

Just thought I'd let everyone know that Brian made it home early Saturday morning as planned and it's been wonderful to have him home. He's taking his time to get re-adjusted as it's been quite a culture change for him. We told him to just take the time he needs to do whatever he wants and he's taking us up on that. Here are a couple of photos from the past few days:

Lindsey and Brian

Welcome Home!!
(Laura added a nice touch
with the sign for the front yard)



While we're taking a little breath, the reality of losing five Minnesota heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past week has kept things in perspective. While we are very, very proud, very relieved, and very thankful that Brian is home, our hearts go out to the families facing an entirely different reality as a result of all this. We appreciate their sacrifice and need to keep them in our prayers.

Silent Vigil Sunday Night For the
Three National Guard Troops
Killed In Basra

Laura and I again want to thank everyone for your prayers and your support. They made a huge difference for us.

We'll keep you posted here as we can. Now, it's "up to the cabin" for the weekend for a little family time.

Semper Fi

Still Taking It In

Greetings to all.

It's taken a few days for the news to sink in. We have learned to not plan for anything and to take things one day at a time but had mentally prepared for another one or two months before we could start thinking of getting Brian out of Iraq and back in the states. Needless to say, realizing he was coming home on the 4th (in just two days) was a pretty significant shock to our system.

Here's what we know today:

*Brian did make it back to California on the 4th of July (via Germany, Iceland, North Carolina, and then California)

*He's doing well, and it has been wonderful to be able to really talk, and not talk in code.

*He has been going through his "debriefing" and other stuff for the past week and will continue next week.

*He is planning on being in Minnesota on July 17 and will be here until August 1. That's at least the plan at this point- always subject to change, but at least we have some markers out there.

I'll continue to update information on the blog as we get it. It's still therapy for me- and hopefully keeps everyone informed.

But, I also wanted to share some final thoughts as we close out this part of the journey.


When we got into this whole military thing Laura and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. There was no "guidebook for parents" to help you understand all of the emotions that go along with it, especially when confronting the realities of war and putting a member of your family in Harm's Way. I am sure every parent deals with the emotions in different ways, but the emotions are very real no matter how you address them (or don't address them). Regardless of our approach, I think Laura and I have come out of this part of the experience stronger and with a different perspective on many things than we had when we started.

But the real heroes are the parents and families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms of our own country and of those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since this started, I've tried to attend the funerals of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice when I could. Nick Turcotte was from Maple Grove and attended high school with Lindsey, and Daniel Olsen just graduated from Eden Prairie High School. Both were killed in Iraq. I felt attending these services was the least I could do. They were emotional, powerful, and showed me the real meaning of our country and the sacrifices others have made.








Nick Turcotte (Maple Grove, MN)

Daniel Olsen (Eden Prairie, MN)

We are unbelieveably thankful Brian is out of a combat zone for a little while. But, we'll also never forget those still serving, those who have served, and those who gave everything they had to make our lives what they are today. We all owe them a lot.

Semper Fi

Brian Is Coming Home- July 4, 2009

"This is the Family Readiness Officer for the First Intelligence Battalion, to inform you that your Marine, Corporal Brian M. Zdychnec will be arriving in California on Saturday, July 4, 2009."

This is the message left on our phone Thursday night (July 2) and was the first we heard anything about Brian coming home. Apparently, he received his orders about a week ago- and was trying to surprise us, but the logistics just didn't work out.

Suffice it to say, Laura and I are still trying to take it all in- but I wanted to get this out to anybody who has been following our blog- just to let you know.

We did talk to him from Germany last night, and he left a message on my phone this morning from North Carolina. So, he's heading in the right direction.

We still don't know a lot of the details- but here's what we know so far:

1. He'll be getting back to California some time today (July 4- what a way to celebrate the Fourth of July)

2. He'll be going through a debriefing in California and then will likely be heading to Minnesota for post-deployment leave (but we don't know when)

3. Yes, he will be re-deploying to Afghanistan for his third deployment most likely after the first of the year. (Brian volunteered for this tour as he could have just ridden out his enlistment from California if he wanted to- we've known for awhile- he told us it was something he had to do- it was the reason he joined the Marines in the first place.) But, we aren't going to be thinking about that one for awhile. We've learned to appreciate each day- and take it "Sunday-to-Sunday; Chow-to-Chow". We're going to take a breath for awhile.

I'll continue to update this Blog with other information as we get it.

Laura and I want to thank each and every one of you who have supported us through this time. You are all the best. It has been an amazing emotional and spiritual journey and we're so thankful Brian has made it back home. I've said before that a deployment seems like a never-ending story where you really don't know what the ending will be. There are many possibilities- some you just don't want to think about. Thank God this chapter ended on a very happy (and thankful) note.

But, I will also never forget to think about and pray for those who remain in Iraq. I'll also be praying for the Marines (and other service members) doing some heavy-duty kick-ass work today in Afghanistan. These men and women are the reason we can celebrate a day like today in our country. I'll never forget it.

Have a great Fourth of July. I know we will.

Semper Fi