U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Jackey Bratt
Individual Augmentee. (2023, April 30). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_augmentee
Normally we don’t hear from Thomas, so as a reminder, Thomas is Angela’s husband who was sent to Afghanistan on an IA, and Angela’s grandfather dropped dead after the prayer for Thomas’ departure. See Chapters 14 & 15.
Dear Angela,
Hi Babe. I sure do miss you. You can’t imagine how much I love you. You really can’t. I wish I was back there with you and the kids, especially at times like these. What’s been happening around the GC? I haven’t heard from you in a while. I wanted to write and let you know what happened today.
…a buddy of mine died. We were out on patrol, and an Afghani got him. I barely escaped with my life. After the firefight was over, I ran and dragged him to safety as fast as I could, but we still lost him. I’ll never forget how his face contorted in horror before he died. He was screaming, “It burns! It burns!” Then he said, “Jesus, save me.” Babe, I didn’t know what to do. But as soon as he said Jesus save me, he let out a big sigh, and his face became peaceful, and he smiled. It was like his pain was gone all of a sudden. He looked peaceful, and then he drifted off and died. . . .
Do you think he went to heaven?
All I could do was sit over his body and cry out to Jesus to save me, too and to please let my friend go to heaven. Babe, I have to tell ya, I don’t like who I’ve become. I don’t like having to kill people. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it still happens. Oh, Jesus, forgive me. I mean, I get it. These things are necessary for war, but no one thinks about how acts of war kill a little part of you every time you do your duty? I wasn’t prepared for how this would affect me, and I wasn’t prepared for the nightmares. I don’t think you can prepare for any of it . . .
I made a decision a few hours ago. I decided I’m going to serve the Lord in whatever way He wants me to, whether it is to die on the battlefield here or to live with you and the kids in a nine-to-five job at home. I don’t care anymore. I’m going to do whatever He wants because when my buddy died, he died with peace. His face glowed from the inside out—when only a few moments before he was writhing in pain.
And when I cried out and asked Jesus to save me, I felt—all I can describe it as is—a swoosh of warmth and peace filled my whole body. It was the first time I’ve EVER felt any rest since I was a little boy huntin’ tadpoles in the creek behind our house.
Babe, I want you to know that I know about some of the horrific things that happen in the backwoods of your granddaddy’s property, and they have to stop. Would you want that to happen to Hannah? Or to Adam? I know I don’t. And also, I wanted to tell you I was wrong about telling you to do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true. I suspect that people could get hurt if you do whatever it takes. Don’t get me wrong. I want you to be successful at singing, if that’s what you want, but you’ll never be happy with it if you get it in the wrong way. Just wait until I get home, and we will do it the right way, and we will do it together.
Ang, I love you with all of my heart. I’m praying for you and the kids. Please pray for me. And please don’t be mad at me.
Love always,
Tommy
As someone who is very familiar with receiving a letter from a military spouse on a ship and, yes, even from Afghanistan, as at one time, the Navy had sailors go on an IA, Individual Augmentee, for periods of time, my husband also went on one. The letters were exciting to get, but you also opened them with trepidation. You never knew what would be in them, and you certainly stopped in your tracks if a government vehicle drove up and parked in front of your house because someone might get out and come to your door to bring bad news…but back to the letters. I think that every military spouse knows that the contents of the letters never fully tell the truth. They can’t. Horrific things and deep things are hard to articulate, and the one overseas also thinks that sharing some things would “burden” or worry their loved ones, so they don’t share them. …What I love about Tommy’s letter here, though, is that he lets Angela know enough about what’s happened, and he tries to explain that he’s seen death and he’s chosen Life—real life—real peace over the life he’s been forced to live on the battlefield and back home observing some of what this warlock’s family has done. Horror can be in a small town just as much as it can be on a battlefield. Tommy chose Jesus. When he saw his friend die in peace after asking Jesus to save him, he decided he wanted that peace while still living. My friends, I pray you to choose Jesus. Choose Life.
~Shari