Life's Highway - The Randy Helms Express

Well I arrived in San Antonio on WED night. Felt good to sleep in my own bed. To bad Isabel and the boys are still in Holland. I would love to have grabbed those little rug rats and squeeze the life out of them. On the other hand, it's nice and quiet and that is what I need right now.

The last year has been something that you only can imagine. There is really no way to explain it, unless you have been in war. My life will never be the same, I am sure. When you see the horrors that I have come across, you really thank God you are from a country that is free.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my sponsors over the last year. You provided me with little comforts from home, and I really do appreciate it.

To all my family and friends who have followed this blog religiously, thank you as well. I enjoyed all the comments and feedback. It made the year go by a little faster writing this thing.

To all the churches around the country who have prayed for me and my team, a big thanks you to you. I felt every prayer.

To Momma and Sonny, I want to say how much I love you two. I thought about you constantly. You are the best Mother and Father that any boy could ask for.

To Annette, Sib, Renee, and Al, Your my older sisters and brother, and I cannot wait to we are all in the same room together again.

To Dick, Ingrid, Frans, Irma, Alvin, Eileen, Jerrel, and Sharon, Thank you for all you have done for Isabel and the boys while I have been away.

To my loving wife Isabel, God how I have missed you and cannot wait to hold you in my arms. You have been a rock for me and I cannot thank you enough.

Calean and Ryleigh, You are the best little boys that any Father could ask for. You both have grown so much in the last year. I have some catching up to do.

I will post one more blog around the 1st of the New Year.

Do me one last favor. Check out this link to my myspace (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51519529). If the song does not stat automatically click on it. The song is called "American by God's Amazin Grace." It sums up the last year of my life.

Randy

Posted by Randy at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

I am writing this blog at Ft Dix, located in New Jersey. Yes, I have arrived back in the good ole USA. What feeling when those wheels hit the ground. I looked out the window and saw grass. After a year of sand, it was a beautiful site to behold. The Vietnam Vets met us when we arrived at Ft Dix with handshakes, hugs and home made food. It was extremely nice and well put together. I will stay here for one night and tomorrow they will fly us to CO to out process. Should be back in San Antonio on the 28th or 29th of DEC. Then my momma is coming to visit and she will spend New Years with me. Isabel and the boys will arrive on the 5th of JAN, and I cannot wait to squeeze the life out of all of them, even Bailey Boo.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.

From a smiling soldier,
Randahl

Posted by Randy at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

First I want to say thank you to my Lord and Savior for whom all blessings come from. I am now in KUWAIT. After one year of my life that I saw so much, I can honestly lay my head down tonight and feel somewhat safe. There were many things that I was not allowed nor did I want to tell you of my year here. To many gunshots ringing over my ears, explosives going off (sometimes extremely close to my vehicle), and death around me many times. I thank the Lord above and I especially thank my wife. Isabel has been there numerous times to talk with me. Even though she could tell things were bad, she never pressed me to tell her. I love her dearly and the boys as well.

I plan on two more blogs, and then I will close this thing down. The next one will be in the States and then the finale one when I arrive in San Antonio. I will be leaving here in a day or so.

Since I will be in the air probably around the 24th, I want to tell my little buddy Happy Birthday early. Ryleigh you will be two and Daddy is so proud of you. You have grown so much while I have been away. I cannot wait to hold you and squeeze you so. You and Caelan I am sure are ready to wrestle with Daddy. Love ya little RJ

Randy

Posted by Randy at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

We left Taji last night at about 2200 and flew to Biap. From here we will catch a flight in the next day or so to Kuwait. I cannot believe we are on our way. Keep your fingers crossed weather and nothing else stands in our way.

Later,
Randy

Posted by Randy at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

I have made it to Taji for the last time. I got here a couple of days ago. I am the only person staying here in the section were we lived. I will leave Taji sometime in the next five to seven days. From there it is a couple of stops, then onward to Kuwait. Will arrive in the US around the Big Fat man's special day and go to Colorado. I will stay in CO for about four or five days and be home in San Antonio before the New Year. Keep them fingers crossed that nothing changes (again). I really am ready to leave this place. Been quite a year.

Posted by Randy at 4:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

Renee,

I want to wish you a very happy birthday today. You and I do not always see eye to eye on things, but I love you more then words can say. I realize that I am your younger brother, but there have been occasions that I think the roles have switched. We have laughed through the years, and we have cried on each others shoulders more then a few times. I especially remember us going to Papa's funeral and we rocked out the whole way. It was you, who introduced me to the Classic Rock that I love (the Country music I owe to Sonny). We've spent some time playing guitars together, and just hanging out an being Brother and Sister. Your in my heart and my mind every single day. I love you dearly and I hope today brings you nothing, but sunshine and happiness.

Love your brother in Iwak (as Caelan calls it),
Bubba

Posted by Randy at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

I received the following email from my sister Renee. It seems that her step-daughter Faith (my niece) sent her this:

Renee- feel free to send this on to Randy if you would like. I didn't’t realize how big the digital scrapping world was or how small our world really is! This morning I woke up and saw that I had a private message on a website that I frequent.

I just HAD to share this with you!!!

I have just had one of those small world moments and you are in it. I am a relatively new lurker on your blog and was just there the other day and downloaded your beautiful tree. Anyway, I also frequent regularly the blog of a friend from high school who is in Iraq. So I was reading Randy's blog tonight and clicked on a link for comments and saw your avatar. I KNEW your avatar looked familiar so I clicked the link and when your blog came up it was SO surreal...I was JUST there the other day. THEN I see that you have a link to your "uncle" Randy's blog. I am tripping out at this point. I just thought is was so cool! Are you in Brunswick? I grew up there and moved to Atlanta 10 years ago. Randy was myhigh schooll BF's good friend and we all went to church together. He is such a great guy. Just had to share. It truly IS a small world!!!~Lynn

So it seems the Lynn and Faith have becomefriendss though my blog, not knowing it. Cool Beans. I have some very good memories of Lynn and her brother David. Lynn was in handbell choir with me, Troy and Bobby (who she was dating at the time). Troy and I played the low bells, so we had a lot of free time on our hands while Tommy Mac worked with the high bells for the melody. Well Lynn stood next to me and on the other side of her was Bobby. So Troy and I would start playing other songs on the bells and get yelled at by Tommy Mac. So we would be scolded and told we had to stay after practice and polish bells. So we did not want to do that without Bobby, so we would proceed to do something that would get Bobby in trouble. My fondest memory of Lynn will always besittingg next to her in achapell on St Simons Island as we attended Crawford's Mother's Funeral. We cried together and really bonded our friendship that day. It's tuff to lose someone, but when you are 16 or 17 it stops you dead in your tracks. The whole church became a tear fest when Crawford sang Purple Rain.

Matter of fact David was one of the reasons why I joined the Army. See David, Tony (South Ga Snipe Hunter), Terry (Tony's older Brother), and a guy named Roddy (aka Rotten) had all joined the Marines or Marine Reserves. I wanted to be like them, even though I was older by a couple of years. So I went down to Marine Corps office and tried to join. The Marines told me since I was married at the time, and 22 they really had no use for me. So I went to the Air Force and they said I was not smart enough (I guess they are not down with Sen John Kerry). So I had two choices left, Navy or Army. So I stood in that hallway weighing my odds. If I joined the Navy my Grandfather would be so proud of me, because he had been in the Navy. On the other hand, I would be stuck at sea all the time, wearing some funky looking jeans. So I choose the Army and here I am 14 and half years later. Thanks Dave, Tony, Terry, and Roddy.

Peace out,
Randy

Posted by Randy at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Not much really to write about, due to the fact I sleep during the day. I have reverted back to wearing my earplugs, that way I due not hear all the traffic up and down the hall. The guys are real good about staying out of my room (which is the gym) until around 1600. This way I get at least about five to six hours sleep. If they stay out, then I do not get up till around 1900. I have to be at work at 2100, so I have been able to catch up on some long overdue rest.

I really hope everyone is doing well and I am so happy that you are still reading this blog. I never thought I would have as many of you out there, as there is (Sorry Renee, but my grammar stinks). I just thought that Isabel, Momma and Sonny, My Sisters and My Brother would probably be the only ones who did read it. Low and behold, but there seems to be a lot of you. Not sure who all reads it, but I have some ideas. Some of you use catchy little names when you post a reply and I have to try and figure out who you are. So far I think I have done pretty good. The only one that gave me some trouble was "South GA Snipe Hunter". I figured it out after a couple of weeks. Let me just say, "I know it's you Jack Branch's little grandson and Mr T. Martin's bro" (Am I right Tony?).

Take care,
Randy

Posted by Randy at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

The last four or five days have been extremely tuff for us. We have lost two soldiers within our Division. As I have stated before in previous posts that each Military Transistion Team (MiTT) is ideally fitted with eleven personnel. Our team was an exception to the rule, due to the fact we only had about seven. The Division MiTT had a CPT get killed yesterday. I really did not know him that well, but I have spoken to him on occasion when we would be watching football. He leaves behind a wife and kids. He had just returned from leave. One of our Battalion MiTTs lost a SSG about five days ago. He was killed by an Armor Defeating Device (ADD). Basically that is a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) or a pressure plates projectle. He leaves behind a wife and children as well. He and I were just sitting outside, before I was going to work, the night before he died. They woke me up in the afternoon and told me. He had said to me the night before that he wanted to stay an extra year over here, so when he finished he could go back to the states and retire from the Army in one year. Great guy and he will be missed by everyone, especially his team. Yesterday one of the other BN MiTTs hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and the gunner recevied 2nd degree burns to his face. He will be Ok, thank the Lord. He is a great guy and they say his spirts are up. I will stop by and see him when I return to Ft Sam, because he will fly out to the burn center there in a couple of days.

Hey President Bush, reading this? Got a plan yet my man? You might want to hurry it up.
Randy

Posted by Randy at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments