tragedy while on the hunt ( warning... a little graphic)

		Quote:			Posted by toleary34
	thank you sir for your appreciation for my service.  that book sounds like quite an asset in the search for the pasts hidden treasures.  my family heritage stems from somewhere in Virgina and fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.  When klondikeike was up here yesterday we had extensive conversations on the Civil War while we were looking at the breastwork defenses.  i can't imagine what it must have been like for those poor souls who both perished, and lived through those horrific battles.  i really want to get back there to where you're at and see some of the battlefields of the Civil War. after being a four tour combat veteran, i don't think that i could look at these fields where some many suffered and perished, and not feel a tear roll down my cheek.

There was really heavy fighting in Spotsylvania county "bloody angle" If I remember correctly fifty thousand plus soldiers died in that battle. I used to live right there at one time and didn't know anything about detecting at all during the 70s. There was alot of suffering there for sure, I was told and have read that there were arms and legs in huge piles in many of the battle areas as a result of medical treatment for wounds.

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Johnlaw

i need to do more genealogy and find out everything i can about my civil war history for myself as well as my future generations down the road.  that is an interesting fact that you can join that group, i am going to do my homework on both my family and that organization.  thank you very much for your sharing of your blood line as well as the organization information and your service to our country.

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     i definitely need to get into that organization because i have two Confederate soldiers in the family that i know of for sure.  one was killed by a lightning strike while in an encampment or on the battlefield.  thanks a lot for that info, i want nothing more than to keep my family history and pride alive and well for generations to come, and that sounds like an excellent asset for me to use in preserving it.

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     Thank you sir for your comments, and to a lot of them where you commend me, it honestly don't know what to say other than thank you.  This is why history and the thrill of the hunt are so incredibly important to me....it keeps me busy, and it gives me the opportunity to share our past with those around me, that have no idea where their blood line and history stems from.  it helped having you there on that call...when the chopper came in and i was holding his amputated leg, i was able to look up at you and communicate with you just by looking into your eyes for that split second, and reading your thoughts while you read mine...the only place i have ever been able to find that is in combat with my fellow Marines.

     I am proud to call you friend, and pray that we can work together on future treasure hunting endeavors.  You are absolutely right about moving on with life....the war and the bad calls are just what we have been hunting...part of the past...our past.....however it is not ours to wallow in, but rather learn from, grow stronger, and appreciate the gift of life.  they teach in fire training that if you feel it necessary to go back to a bad scene from an earlier call, to do so.  when i hung up the phone with you i went back out to where we had found him because it wanted to see the area without the body, to try and wash it out of my head and to take in the natural beauty of the area insted, so that in the future i will not have to drive past and think of it as his final resting place but rather a spot of dirt on the side of a historical road.  when i got to the scene a vehicle pulled up and the occupants got out.  it was his family.

     they asked who i was and i explained that i had returned to pay my last respects to the area and to him.  they told me who they were and i told them that you and i were the first ones to start treatment and that we had worked for almost an hour to save his life.  his son and other relatives shook my hand and thanked me for trying my hardest.  they asked where he had finally come to a rest after the crash, and i pointed it out to them, the chunks and blood had been covered by upturned dirt.  they were having a rough time and i left them my number in the case of their needing anything that i could do for them.

     they started to cry even harder and i walked slowly back to the truck and was called back to the site by his family, where they all thanked me and shook my hand again.  i turned around and continued walking back to the truck and a heavy breeze blew through the grass and weeds surrounding that historical plot of land, and i closed my eyes as it brushed across my face.  I told you earlier that i was a believer in the great spirit, and that history and those who have gone before us will talk to us from the past if we listen.  they are not necessarily there....there are no words...there are no ghostly sightings.....there are their memories, their mistakes, and their gifts they have given us throughout time.  I instantly felt at peace, and convinced that we had done everything we could do, and that he....wherever he maybe....was in a way pleased.  today i was called to another car wreck, and thought about you as i treated my patient.  May we meet again in a celebration of life and the thrill of the hunt...you have all of my friendship and faith, as well as my hope to overcome the horrors of the past, people like you and many on this forum are the hope that i speak of...With every ounce of respect your friend.
 
                                                            TJ

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TJ and Klondike: Alot of people never experience the types of bonds that are made between soldiers, EMT's, Fire Fighters, and Police Officers. I myself have been both a soldier, a volunteer fire fighter, and a 911 Operator.....so I have experienced those types of bonds as well. It is great to see you two hook up and not only hunt and discover things together, but also use your expertise to help others in need along the way. I am proud to be in a brotherhood that includes you two gentlemen. My respect goes out to both of you!

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