Letters From Grandpa #533

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 533

Dearest grandchild,

A few days ago Paul and Jodi gave me the book American Heroes by James Patterson. This book relates the heroic sacrifices of men and women who courageously faced death in the service of their country. Though it is not in the book, this poem by Charles M. Province sets the stage for this letter: “It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion. It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest. It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote. It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”

I think my favorite story in Patterson’s book is about Staff Sergeant Travis Mills who lost both of his arms and legs in Afghanistan on April 10, 2012. Travis was 6’3” tall and 250 pounds of solid muscle. His back pack weighed 120 lbs. and was loaded with ammo and grenades. In the heat of battle he set down his back pack on an IED. Travis wrote: “I wake up on the ground. On my back. My ears are ringing, and the sun is shining down on me as I lift my left arm. My wrist has been practically severed, but I still have use of my thumb and my first thought is, I just want to be able to hold my girl again. I roll over. My right arm and leg are gone. My left leg is snapped at the bone, held together by a web of muscle, tendon and skin.”

Nine doctors and seven nurses worked on Travis for 14 hours giving him 400 units of blood. Travis continued: “Both legs were gone. My right arm was amputated at mid-bicep. My right leg was amputated above the knee. The left was amputated at the knee. The skin on my left hand had died so they amputated my hand.”

Back at Walter Reed Hospital his 6 month old daughter, Chloe, is not shocked or repulsed by how her father looks. Even though he cannot hold her she crawls on his chest and let’s her father smother her with kisses. His pain is so bad that he can only sleep 20 minutes at a time.

For the first few weeks he felt like a baby. He could do nothing by himself. He was totally dependent upon others to feed and clothe him and take him to the bathroom. His military training, however, kicked in and he began therapy with bull dog determination. While most patients did an hour of physical therapy and an hour or occupational therapy, Travis did four. When given a new hand he was only supposed to practice with it for an hour but the therapist trusted him to not use it to the point of damaging his arm. For the first time Travis was able to feed himself. He learned to walk at the same time his daughter learned to walk. They predicted that he would be at Walter Reed for 3 ½ years but he was out in only 19 months.

As a “recalibrated warrior” Travis began sharing his story with others. A company hired him as a motivational speaker and others booked him for corporate events. A ski company provided “adaptive skis” enabling him to ski with his wife. He established the Travis Mills Foundation to help others overcome their handicaps. He became part owner of an insurance company and then purchased his own restaurant. His foundation was permitted to use the former estate of cosmetics mogul Elizabeth Arden to help others in need. Travis continues to work tirelessly with his foundation without receiving a dime in salary.

In 2013 he produced an award winning documentary called Travis, A Soldier’s Story and then completed a second documentary for HBO Max called Hi, I’m Travis. He does about 50 speaking engagements every year. He has written two books and his autobiography As Tough as They Come is a New York Times bestseller.

Travis doesn’t yet know how he will ever dance with his daughter or teach his son how to play ball, but he remains optimistic that somehow, with the help of God, he will find a way.

On November 10, 2016 Tony Ross wrote in Christopher Closeup – that Travis gives God the credit for having a plan that keeps him going forward. Focusing on God was also what kept the Apostle Paul going foreward. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Praise God! Focused on eternal truth Paul gave Christ the glory and wrote: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

When we focus on the troubles we “see” it is easy to be discouraged. When we focus on “Jesus” we can somehow find the courage to never quit! The writer of Hebrews put it like this: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce