Crazy things happening...

[+Muesli]

Well,

Life was already crazy enough for me the last month... It's getting me a bit more confused and unstable...

A mere six weeks ago I lost a good friend. We were both UNPROFOR vets and I hung out with him on
several occasions. He was only 43, he died in an accident.

Two and a half weeks later, again a friend of mine died unexpectedly. We both did our tour in Bosnia
together and although he had a fragile health, we never saw it coming. He was 47 and we had his birthday
a mere 3 weeks before he died.

Again, two and a half weeks after that, a good friend of mine was found dead in his home,
He was a Dutchbat 3 veteran who had just rebuilt his life after a troublesome past. He bought a car and
had nice summer plans this year. After a silence of 4 days, some buddies checked his house and
found him dead, natural causes it states. He was only 44...

Today, to my surprise I found out that a buddy of mine has decided a month ago to go to Syria to help
the Kurdish peshmerga fight the bastards of IS.... He too, a Dutchbat 3 veteran in his forties....

At this moment, I cannot fully grasp what is happening close around me.... 3 close deaths in exactly
one month, a fellow veteran who now is in Syria (and we have FB contact with regular updates
and pictures...), damn.....

Just had to write it off of me....


Iwan

 

[Sky High]

Iwan, my sympathies to you on the death of your friends and my deepest admiration to the one who is in Syria.

[+Stary]

it saddens me to hear abouth deaths of your friends Iwan, such still young people

be strong my friend!

 

as for the one in Syria -I wish him well as I wish well to Kurds and their cause

[MigBuster]

That's pretty shocking so sorry to hear of this very bad luck - condolences.

[Nesher]

I think it is hard to lose friends no matter what their age is.. let alone when they are young and had a long life ahead of them

so sorry to hear about that, keep strong!

 

about the friend in Syria, tell him there is at least one Israeli SOB that is saluting him and hoping for his safe return home!! <S>

[+Muesli]

Thanks all.

If it weren't for my commitments at home (my son and a woman I love) I would
have done something like that too. I always had military blood running through
my veines and no arthrosis or PTSD would stop me.
Better to die for freedom than live in captivity, whether literally or as a figure
of speech.Nowadays, we in the western world are mostly held captive by the
over-tolerant left political climate. During my tour in Bosnia I have seen what
"civilised" people can do to eachother, and we weren't allowed to actively intervene

by force... those were politically made UN mandates... rules on paper.
I know it is better to act than to discuss, and I would have tried to make a difference
again if it were possible. So, in a way I am proud of my friend and a few other
acquaintances who decided to go to IS territory and fight against them, by joining
the Kurds. They seem the only group willing and capable to stand up against those
fanatical morons...

As for my friends... Losing them hurts... yep... Losing 3 in one month is a
heavy blow. I am happy to know they had all honours at their funerals and
I wish to have the same at mine.... but I am planning to annoy and irritate
people for some more decades to come!

See you later, Muesli!

Edited March 7, 2015 by Muesli

[Derk]

Good plan in the last part of your story Iwan !!!!!

[+Dave]

Stay strong my friend!

[RUSTYMORLEY]

Life is so unpredictable you never know what's around the corner. My elder brother died several years ago, I never saw it coming, I just picked up the phone one day and my mum said that your brother died yesterday - she got told by his girlfriend after the landlord found him dead in the house. I just could not make any sense of what was happening!!!