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Final Feature!
December 13th, 2011
Brittany Conolly
Final Feature
12-11-11
Shots can be heard in the distance growing closer. Richard Rawson, an United States army soldier, is getting ready to make a dash through a bullet-riddled valley. His job is to be a decoy while his snipers watch his back from the sandy hilltops behind him. As the mission comes to an end he gets to enjoy a granola bar in a lean to tent against a cavern wall in the middle of the Afghanistan desert. When asked what they were doing after high school, most 17 year old high school boys wouldn’t say going to war, and being a live decoy in a gun fire battle. For Richard Rawson his future after high school was decided when he signed his papers for the army in 12th grade.
Richard Rawson, called Richie by his friends, was a doe eyed, naive senior at North High School. The United States army’s recruiters at school tempted him, along with other students. They brought with them t-shirts, backpacks, gift cards, and the idea that any boy or girl could be brave and fight for their country. Swept up by the “performance” and prizes Rawson signed the next 6 years of his life to the United States Army.
May 2010 was his deployment date, and he would be shipped off to Afghanistan. When the day came for him to say goodbye to his family and friends, pride and fear filled everyone’s mind, including Rawson’s. “The idea of not sleeping in my own bed made me uncomfortable,” said Rawson. Before leaving for the death filled wasteland Rawson purchased one important item. An international cell phone. With this he could call home to his friends and family on a few occasions. “Those telephone calls kept me from going crazy,” said Tammy Rawson,” I couldn’t sleep at night without worrying about my youngest son overseas.” He kept in touch with everyone, but the calls started coming less and less as the months went on.
After a year had passed Rawson was sent back to the states. He had finished his first tour of duty on May 18, 2011. He flew home on a military airplane to the air force base in South Dakota. Awaiting his arrival were his parents Lawny and Tammy Rawson, his sister Jenny Rawson, brother Brad Rawson, and his close family friends Linda and Kelly Conolly. “I didn’t want to show it but I had tears in my eyes when I saw my family,” said Rawson. Back in Sioux City his friends and other family members were waiting for him. The night of his return there was a huge family feast.
Rawson didn’t act the same. Those close to him thought that maybe it was just jet lag and trying to adjust to his surroundings. However, this was not the case. Rawson was not the same outgoing, boyish, rowdy boy he had left the states as. He became quite and solemn. He didn’t like to go places overly crowded or to bigger areas. He kept mainly to himself and didn’t like to talk much.
After a few weeks of this unusual attitude friends began asking him about overseas, and why he acted so different. At first he was reluctant to talk to anyone, including his family, about his tour of duty. He gave vague details, and clammed up when he started to talk about things. After months of keeping to himself, Rawson finally opened up to his best friend Kyle Lesline. Once the stories started they wouldn’t stop. He told Lesline story after story. “Hearing the stories of what he had to go through was tough,” said Lesline,” but I knew he needed a shoulder to lean on because that was some tough sh*t he went through.” Pretty soon Rawson began opening up to his other close friends and family.
Now, 6 months later Rawson is an active young man in the Siouxland environment. He is getting more involved in a social life of a young male. He is going out to the bars, going to parties, seeing movies with friends, and getting a part time. Rawson’s life is less pressure filled now that he is home. He only has basic for the army once a month. He is happier now that he has opened up and is able to have fun with his friends.
From sleepless nights in a foreign country to sleeping in his own bed at home. Rawson is glad he did a tour of duty, and is glad he learned to cope with a life changing experience. He said,” Having great friends helped me deal with anxiety of being home, and without them I would be mess still.” After being recruited at such a young age, Rawson has overcome fighting for his country and growing up in the process from a young boy to a man.
