Laura Margaret Walker

West Point, 2003

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Duncan Walker on July 19, 2010:

Laura, I got back from patrol today and began sifting through your music that has been sitting untouched on my external hard drive. Music always meant a lot to you. It was a good bond we shared and could relate about. Now I'm sitting at a dirty plywood desk to tell you about my own experience over here. You'd be proud. I know you would. I work hard everyday to make sure of it. Just as I thought, evening the score hasn't made me feel better. I still smile when I find out that we put another one in the dirt, but it's not in revenge, it's because that's one less that can hurt the men. That's one less that could hurt me. The family has lost enough, and it weighs on me heavily to not be too bold. I never rememeber when I'm in contact, there's just too much to think about. But when I get off the mission, like today, and I pause and think, "what would Mom and Dad do if that would have been a couple inches this way or that..." I tell myself after each time that I'll be more careful next time, but like I said, I never remember. I haen't done my Field Marshall pose on a rock or anything, but I could have been a bit more reserved at times. I'll keep trying to keep my head down, but no promises, there's still a job to be done, and I can't lead from behind a rock. You know what I mean. I'm almost done with the PL gig unfortunately, I'll try not to do anything stupid between now and then. I've done it though Laura. I've done it. All these years working towards these last few months. It's done. When I get back I can come up for air, see what the rest of the world has to offer and not be buried in study guides or manuals or books about being a PL. I'll get out there more and enjoy myself. I promise. I just wanted to be ready for this. I wanted to have the best chance of making the right decision and coming home again with all the men. If I had to sacrifice some of the fun things in life for a year or two leading up to to it I look back at it as time well spent developing who I was becoming out of the Academy. I'll do more. This is just the beginning.

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