Soldier Ryan Leason
Intro
Ryan deciding to enlist in not the Army, but the Marines, was no surprise for many reasons.
Reason A: He was tall and buff, always into the whole guns and war thing. He was six foot three, and worked out everyday, never forgetting to exercise. He's always liked the idea of being in the war and saving people to fight for our country (or whatever), and when we were younger, always talked about it. Always.
Reason B: In our small hometown in New York (not the city, although we used to live there), it wasn't unusual that people wanted to leave. It can get very boring here, nothing exciting but the woods where some paintball, and a lot of people chose to leave. Hell, I wanted to leave too, but I was only sixteen. Still a minor, of course. So, yeah. My choice of another home would be somewhere far, somewhere I've never been to, like California, or Colorado.
Reason C: A lot- and I mean a lot- of people in my family are in the Army, is a Navy SEAL, is in the U.S. Air Force, or is a Marine. About 85-90% of my family is in the war, whether on land, in water, or flying through the air. So, my parents freaked a little bit about my big bro leaving since they had no clue (he enlisted secretly, and got accepted. He decided to tell us the day before he left. Nice, Ryan. Nice), but they were understanding. I'm a little freaked myself, scared that I won't see Ryan again until he's in a casket. But, we're a holy family, and I pray every night.
Reason D: Asmerelda.
Asmerelda was the chic Ryan dated a year or so ago. They were together for about a month before Ryan wanted out, saying Asmerelda was too clingy and a stalker (every other night she would come knocking on the door asking if my brother was here), but this girl would not have it. She walked our block every day, waiting for Ryan to come out, and when he courageously did, she would be all over him, trying to hug and kiss or whatever. Once we had her arrested for writing 'ROT IN HELL, RYAN LEASON" in spray paint on our garage door, and last Halloween she threw eggs at our front door, leading to another arrest. Anybody who's ever crazy enough to date her has a lifetime of hell in front of them. This morning Ryan said he sometimes wish he'd die in Iraq to get away from her.
Mom didn't take the comment lightly.
Reason E, final reason: He wants his name to be known. Not just in our family, our town, but pretty much everywhere. He said he wanted to be remembered in a good way, and that the Marines was a perfect way to do that. He doesn't want to be some other soldier who is known by his name. He wants to do something incredible and fantastic so that everybody will remember his good deed(s).
So, yeah. Ryan was ambitious from the start on February 12th, 1993, when he was welcomed into our world. Well, his world at the time. I wasn't even thought of. I came three years later. Anyway, this is where my story of Soldier Ryan Leason of Poughkeepsie, New York, begins.
Reason A: He was tall and buff, always into the whole guns and war thing. He was six foot three, and worked out everyday, never forgetting to exercise. He's always liked the idea of being in the war and saving people to fight for our country (or whatever), and when we were younger, always talked about it. Always.
Reason B: In our small hometown in New York (not the city, although we used to live there), it wasn't unusual that people wanted to leave. It can get very boring here, nothing exciting but the woods where some paintball, and a lot of people chose to leave. Hell, I wanted to leave too, but I was only sixteen. Still a minor, of course. So, yeah. My choice of another home would be somewhere far, somewhere I've never been to, like California, or Colorado.
Reason C: A lot- and I mean a lot- of people in my family are in the Army, is a Navy SEAL, is in the U.S. Air Force, or is a Marine. About 85-90% of my family is in the war, whether on land, in water, or flying through the air. So, my parents freaked a little bit about my big bro leaving since they had no clue (he enlisted secretly, and got accepted. He decided to tell us the day before he left. Nice, Ryan. Nice), but they were understanding. I'm a little freaked myself, scared that I won't see Ryan again until he's in a casket. But, we're a holy family, and I pray every night.
Reason D: Asmerelda.
Asmerelda was the chic Ryan dated a year or so ago. They were together for about a month before Ryan wanted out, saying Asmerelda was too clingy and a stalker (every other night she would come knocking on the door asking if my brother was here), but this girl would not have it. She walked our block every day, waiting for Ryan to come out, and when he courageously did, she would be all over him, trying to hug and kiss or whatever. Once we had her arrested for writing 'ROT IN HELL, RYAN LEASON" in spray paint on our garage door, and last Halloween she threw eggs at our front door, leading to another arrest. Anybody who's ever crazy enough to date her has a lifetime of hell in front of them. This morning Ryan said he sometimes wish he'd die in Iraq to get away from her.
Mom didn't take the comment lightly.
Reason E, final reason: He wants his name to be known. Not just in our family, our town, but pretty much everywhere. He said he wanted to be remembered in a good way, and that the Marines was a perfect way to do that. He doesn't want to be some other soldier who is known by his name. He wants to do something incredible and fantastic so that everybody will remember his good deed(s).
So, yeah. Ryan was ambitious from the start on February 12th, 1993, when he was welcomed into our world. Well, his world at the time. I wasn't even thought of. I came three years later. Anyway, this is where my story of Soldier Ryan Leason of Poughkeepsie, New York, begins.