Signing Off

Greetings to all,

What can I say? The two weeks went fast as they always do. For a little while the house was a steady stream of activity once again. We had a lot of fun, Brian saw many of his friends, and I think we were able to relax a little and just take it all in.

We were able to spend a little time up north together which is always special. Special thanks to Aunt Peggy and Uncle Brad for showing Brian the splendors of the Harriett Club, some good cigars, and an exclusive Lake Ada tour. Brian really enjoyed it.

We had dinner together at the "Fireside Supper Club" outside of Walker. While we were there we learned that the owner's (Kathy) son (Carl) was just deployed to Iraq the same day Brian returned to the States (July4). On our way out we stopped by just to let Kathy know that Carl would be in our prayers- she just broke down in tears. We spent some time trying to comfort her and telling her it would be "ok". We certainly understood what she was feeling and I hope we helped. The reality and emotions of all of this comes from everywhere; even in Walker, Minnesota in a little supper-club with nobody else in it. We're staying in touch with Kathy now.

Brian made it back to California on Saturday and is going to be starting a pretty hectic schedule. He'll be in Hawthorne, Nevada and Pensacola, Florida for some work and training over the next two months, and then back to Camp Pendleton for Squad Leader School. We hope he'll be back for the Holidays this year.

And, it's quiet again here as we get on with our own lives. We found out a few weeks ago that we're going to be grandparents. We are so excited for Lindsey and Jason. They are going to be wonderful parents and will be adding a whole new dimension to their lives. I'm sure it will change ours too.

So, life marches on. This whole experience has been quite the rush. While we're so thankful Brian is home and in the States for awhile, we still pray for Carl and everyone else who is still over there. We also remember the sacrifice of those for which this thing will never be over. We owe them a lot.

The Certificate of Commendation Brian received while he was in Iraq is sitting on the coffee table in our living room and I show it to anyone and everyone who walks through the door. Stop by anytime and I'll show it to you. We'd love to see you. We want to again thank everyone for your support and prayers. You did make a difference.

Signing Off

Semper Fi

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

A Day of Change In Iraq

So, it's National Sovereignty Day in Iraq. Today, June 30, is the day that all combat troops are supposed to be withdrawn from the major cities in Iraq. We really don't know what that all means for Brian as they have also stated that intelligence capabilities will continue. Plus, we really don't know where he is right now (we think we know) and Brian is both combat and intelligence so we don't know where that all falls for him. We'll keep you posted- but he probably won't be able to tell us much.

While this is an important day for the Iraqi people, the deaths of four of our soldiers today emphasized that this deal is far from over. As I've said in my previous postings- getting complacent about all of this is my worst fear. I know our military won't get complacent, but our country might. At Obama's press conference the other day there was not one question asked about either Iraq or Afghanistan. Unfortunately, most of our country has moved on to other things as we always do- we (along with all of our troops still serving) will continue to live with it every day until they are all home.

One of Saddam's former deputies came out urging the Iraqi people and the insurgents to keep fighting Americans "wherever they may be in Iraq". Believe me, these nut-jobs won't stop fighting just because our troops are strategically taking a different position. Once again, I hope we remind our country that this isn't over yet. We owe it to those still serving- and for those who have already given the ultimate sacrifice to see it through.

Enough of that.

Getting mail to Brian is still on hold. Ironically, he was able to send a case of some of his extra gear to us and it got here in less than a week. So, mail can go out of Iraq- it just has the problems when it tries to get there. The case he sent still had quite a bit of Iraqi desert sand on it even after the travel. The stuff is just like a fine gold powder. Brian called the other evening while he was waiting out another one of the famous "sandstorms" of this stuff blowing around. He said it was 3:00 in the afternoon and it was just black outside from the storm.

This weekend we'll be celebrating the 4th of July. Last year Brian was home for post-deployment leave and was able to spend some time with us at the cabin- his first time back in two years. All I can say is that it was a classic event. Being the only sober one in a boat with 6 others at 10:30 at night while watching the fireworks from the lake was quite the experience. I believe Brian became a legend in Walker last year when he introduced "Man Shots" to our humble community. It's never been the same.

So, I'm posting some photos from last year below. I told Brian we will all be thinking of him this year- and we'll make sure he catches up to us when he gets back home.

The "traditional meal" with our extended family last 4th

Yes, this is Lindsey after spending time at the Beer Garden in Walker. (Sorry Lindsey, this one is a classic, I had to put it in)

Well-deserved "Welcome Home" shots with friends and family

The family- enjoying some time together, and taking a breath.

So, have a wonderful 4th of July. As I've said many times before, these holidays have a different meaning for us now. Our independence and our freedom come with a cost. And, thank God we have the men and women willing to make the sacrifices to protect it for us every day.

Semper Fi

Prayers for Bri

http://images.acswebnetworks.com/1/1482/MDRCBulletinBoard426.pdf

Check out the Pray for our Military section...

Thanks Aunt Kathy, we want all the prayers we can get!!

We're Plugging Along

(UPDATED 6-17-09) We're supposed to hold on sending packages again- they haven't been able to fix the problem as yet.)

Brian's 22nd birthday is coming up on Monday, June 15. It's hard to believe that he's only 22 with all he is experiencing (and has already experienced)- and at the same time his mom and I continue to view him as the same mischievious little boy he always was growing up. Brian always added a little excitement in whatever he did (and certainly contributed to my gray hair- or what's left of it)- he's just continuing that today.

The weather in Iraq is really heating up. Brian told me that the other day it hit 115 degrees- at 11:00 a.m. But, he said the evenings get down to around 80 so it's tolerable.

Laura and I are doing fine. I guess you can say we're plugging along. Deployments are tough. We're in week 13 and we still have a ways to go. The tough parts are (like today) when he tells us he's heading out on "a mission" tonight and we won't hear from him for a few days. These are the times you just have to pray a little harder and be patient until we hear from him again when he returns. It's certainly challenging.

We've been watching the Colbert Report the past week as he's been filming the show from Camp Victory in Bagdhad (Once You Go Iraqi- You'll Never Go Backi). It's been a really good show and nice to hear about all of the good these guys and gals are doing over there since you don't hear about it in the mainstream media. It makes things seem worthwhile, and makes us feel a little closer to Brian as we watch.

Here are a few pictures Brian sent from wherever he is in Iraq. (Interesting quarters)

So, if you get a chance shoot Brian an e-mail on his birthday. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. And, I also want to reiterate his (and our) appreciation for all of your support in the past, and continued support in the future.

Semper Fi