That's not Tom Cruise in the black t-shirt greeting the hero's home, it's Richie's best friend Geoff. Unfortunately Geoff was shot in both legs back in March, thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery.
Richie has already told me some hair raising stories of IED encounters and bullets kicking dirt up in his face. I also heard many courageous stories from the other Marines/Sailors I spoke with. As many of you know, I spent 30 years in the Navy and never encountered anything close to what these brave warriors have been through. It was truly humbling listening to them speak about how they put themselves in harms way everyday. Please ensure you thank any young warrior you have to opportunity to meet.
I'd also like to thank forum members Dick (dick195252), Phillip (pdislow) and Mike P. for the care packages they sent during his deployment. He commented on how inspiring it was to receive packages from people he did not even know, plus the goodies sure beat the MRE's.
I can't tell you how thankful I am to have him home safely.
Rich
That is good news . 
