I was sitting outside my barracks at Fort Myer in Virginia, chatting with an Army buddy. He was talking, but I wasn't really listening. My thoughts had taken over, and suddenly I was back in Iraq. I could practically feel the ever-present sand and hear the gunfire and frequent explosions. My heart pounded.
God, am I ever going to be normal again? I was 20 years old. Serving in the Army was the only career I'd ever wanted. I thought the terrors that had plagued me since my return from combat would settle now that I'd been reassigned to the Old Guard, the Army's ceremonial unit in D.C. But if I couldn't control these intrusive thoughts, did I have any future in the military at all?
Then I heard it: clip-clop, clip-clop. The sound got a little louder. "Ah, there's the Caisson Platoon," my buddy said, right as a trio of regal military horses crossed the street.
The Caisson Platoon? I'd never heard of it. My gaze riveted to those horses. Clip-clop, clip-clop. My heartbeat slowed to the rhythm of their hooves.
The strangest feeling came over me. A mysterious peace and an even more mysterious certainty. That's what I'm supposed to do work with those horses.
Peace and certainty had eluded me since I'd been wounded in a grenade attack in May 2003. I was awarded the Purple Heart. I couldn't stop thinking about the little girl who'd died and the dozen other kids who'd been wounded beside me. While waiting for my Old Guard assignment to begin, I'd stayed with my dad. He was alarmed when he had to grab me by my shirt to keep me from jumping out of a moving car. A trip to the mall lasted three minutes. Too many people. I never returned. My nightmares woke the house. Weirdest were the day terrors—a sound, a smell would trigger me, and I was back in Iraq, under attack.
Bu hikaye Guideposts dergisinin Apr/May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Guideposts dergisinin Apr/May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
In the Everyday
Cooking, cleaning, breaking up the kids’ fights... If only I had a few minutes for myself!
Worst-Case Scenario?
I’d had nagging injuries before and always recovered. Why wasn’t I confident that I would get better this time?
Honor Thy Son
I was a Marine officer, a lifer—or so I thought. Then came Patrick
Keeping It Real
In an age of social media, we're experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. Two friends who met online tell you how to grow an authentic connection
What You Wish For
She never wanted to see her abusive father again
God's Pillow
In 2016, the Soberanes Fire in Northern California was the costliest ever in the United States. It almost cost me my life, despite the promise I made to my wife
"I Heard You Praying"
As a hospital chaplain, I had seen hopeless cases. But never one more seemingly hopeless than this
"I Love You, Dad!"
Some of your favorite GUIDEPOSTS writers share what they learned from their fathers
Harold and Me
They’re nearly all gone now, the generation we call The Greatest.” This woman’s mission was to honor one of them
The Race Before Her
For this Olympic champion, success bred her greatest fear. How five verses set her free