Just over a year ago, Eagle photographer Jaime Oppenheimer captured a poignant scene as a local Marine said good-bye to his family before departing for duty in Iraq. She recently received a
very moving message from this Marine, who is deployed with the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade. He agreed to let us publish it:
"Jaime,
I wanted to take a moment and thank you for capturing the beginning of a
new chapter in my life. It was close to a year ago when you snapped the photo
entitlted ‘From one soldier to another.’
My name is Gabriel Figueroa, I have been deployed with the 36th CAB since
April 2006. I have the photograph that you took hanging next to my chair in my
tiny two-man room. It is there to motivate me and to help me get through the long
days.
I am a crew chief on the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, it is a job that I
love and that requires us to ‘cross the wire’ everyday. Recently, I was
involved in a ground to air ambush; the aircraft and crew were recovered
without anyone getting harmed. This was my second such incident since being ‘in
country’ but what made this one different is that instead of going to church to
thank God, or sitting around with the crew to (pretend to) laugh it off, I went
straight to my room and stared at the picture of my wife and child. I closed my
eyes and transported myself back to that moment and I remembered every detail of
that scene. I recalled what I told my wife: ‘I owe it to you and Isaiah to get
back home safely, and I will.’
I am sure that you take thousands of pictures each day, but I want you to
know that the photograph that you took this day has encouraged and motivated me
to get through 500+ days away from my family. Thank you Thank you Thank
you!
If there is anything that I can do for you please let me know. God bless you, Semper Fi and Keep the Faith.
Gabriel Figueroa"
Posted by Theresa Johnson