Synopsis
I decided to publish this now for two reasons. First I wanted to publicly acknowledge my wife Diane for being there for me when I needed her the most. My deployment all those years ago was a very trying time in our lives. I wanted the gesture to be heartfelt and tangible. But, more than something that I could just buy in a store. The 20th anniversary of the start of the First Gulf War struck me as a good time to do this. The second reason is larger and may very well be overly ambitious. Even so, my other aim is to call attention to the sacrifices of our soldiers. But, more importantly I want to highlight the tremendous sacrifices that are shouldered by the families of our soldiers. This I feel is the great untold story that I hope this book illuminates in some small measure. I am humbled in offering this because I know that in 1990 -1991 I was just one of over 500,000 American soldiers deployed to the region at that time. And I am fully aware that I am not the only husband who missed his wife and wrote to her to express those sentiments. Our story is not new or unique. Rather it is timeless and commonplace. Therein, I think lies its potential resonance in that the feelings expressed are so simple and so universal. It is my hope that you the reader will recognize your own story in ours. The letters in and of themselves are not individually profound. They are not sweeping poetic verses that express undying love. At the time that I wrote them I could not anticipate that anyone other than Diane would ever be reading them. Therefore, they are at times rather parochial. Just the writings of a husband sharing his thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams with his wife. But, taken as a collective I think they present a compelling story whose arc culminates with the commitment of ground forces to combat which is an event that always has uncertain outcomes. As I write these words I know that a similar story arc is playing out over and over again in far too many households across this country. We are decisively engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our soldiers and their loved ones are dealing with so much right now. Therefore, I am further humbled by the enormity of their sacrifice. If this work helps bring to light the true heroism of just one current or former military family this exercise will have been well worth it. Twenty years is a long time. And the time and place of which I write seem very distant. Still, there are times when the emotion of that period in our lives is immediate. But, we survived it all and we re still here.
About the Author
Stephen R. Bradshaw, a native of Charlotte, NC was born into a military family. As a young child the family lived in various locations in the southeastern United States. Upon his father s retirement from the Navy in 1977, the family moved to Savannah, GA. Steve attended his last year of junior high school, high school and college in Savannah, and he considers Savannah his hometown. Upon graduating from college in 1986 Steve entered military service as a Second Lieutenant, formally trained as a tank commander. Over a seven year military career Steve served in various line and staff positions of increased responsibility including a tour as a leadership instructor at the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School. His various duty stations included Ft. Knox, KY, Ft. Benning, GA, and Kitzingen, West Germany. Steve also served in the Middle East during the first Gulf War. He resigned his commission in 1993 to pursue opportunities in the private sector. For most of his corporate career Steve has worked in the staffing industry in various sales and operations roles of increased responsibility most notably with Spherion and CLP Resources. Until recently Steve worked as the Corporate Director of On-Site Development with LINK Staffing Services of Houston, TX. Steve has been an Instructor in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University since 2005. He teaches courses on Public Service and Democracy, Public Personnel Management, Critical Policy Issues and Organizational Culture and Leadership. Steve holds a BA from Armstrong State College and an MPA from Georgia State University. Steve previously served on the board of directors of The Giving Tree (an adoption resource agency), and was Chairman of the Governance Committee. He also served on the State Water and Wastewater Certification Board (appointed by then Georgia Governor Roy Barnes). He currently serves on the board of directors of the Clarkston Community Center. A self-confessed political junkie, Steve continues to hold a sincere interest in public policy, and continues to have an interest in future service in the public sector. He enjoys reading and playing golf. Steve and Diane have lived in the metro Atlanta area since 1993.
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