Guest Blog Post by Heather Goettke
I have to be honest; I was not thrilled about naming our son Russell. I could not picture an infant – a sweet, cuddly, chunky-monkey – with such a grown up name. And frankly, the thought of anyone calling my son “Rusty” repulsed me.
But when we found out our last child was going to be a boy, my husband Tom proclaimed that his name WOULD be Russell, and there was no persuading him otherwise.
You see, the name Russell has special meaning to my husband. His friend, CPT Russell “Russ” Rippetoe, was killed in action on April 3, 2003, and was the first soldier to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery from Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Russ and my husband Tom instantly became great friends when Tom joined 3/75th Ranger Regiment in late summer 2002. Tom was always talking about his buddy, and it was great to finally put a face to the name when I had the privilege of meeting Russ in October, and again in December that same year.
Because Tom and I were still engaged at the time, I had to get all pertinent information from two friends who were Army wives. I’ll never forget the phone call I received from Andrea. It was late, and by the sound of her voice, I knew the news was not good. Her first words were to reassure me that Tom was fine, but I still wasn’t prepared for the blow that followed when she broke the terrible news – Russ had been killed.
My body was numb as I fell to the floor. It was my first experience with the loss of a soldier, and I was having difficulty processing the information. Russ was Tom’s friend — he was special. Profound grief and fear for how my fiancé was handling the tragic situation made the war suddenly very real to me, and that night, the reality of life as an Army wife sinking in, I cried myself to sleep.
Fast forward almost 11 years, and there I was, hoping to dissuade Tom from naming our baby Russell. To my credit, I DID want to incorporate the name, but not even in the final moments before the birth of our son could I convince Tom that “Russell” would be the perfect middle name for our child. And so, Russell James “RJ” was born March 3, 2014. And he was perfect, just like his name.
So, while the not initially my first choice, the story behind the name was powerful enough to convince me to name our son for a fallen soldier, a hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Not many children can grow up knowing that they are named for a true hero, but our son will, because when RJ is old enough, he will learn that not only is there a very special story behind his name, but that the freedoms of this world do not come easy; they are paid for with the lives of heroes like Russ Rippetoe.
My husband and I will make sure that RJ sees a picture of Russ – knows who he is, and hopefully, one day, meet Russ’s parents, who we hope will understand how much it means to us – how honored we are, that our little boy is named for a hero, their fallen soldier.
Two years ago, while living in Virginia, we went to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. By chance, when visiting Russ’s tombstone, my daughters and I had the privilege of meeting his parents (Tom had met them at the funeral). Russ was the only son of Mrs. Rippetoe and her husband, a retired LTC, who were visiting their son’s grave accompanied by former CJCS Admiral Mike Mullen.
And so, as seen on this day by anyone reading these words, the legacy of Russell Rippetoe is still alive and strong. Naming our son RJ is just one symbolic gesture to remember a fallen Ranger, the other is sharing his story with you.
About Heather
Heather is an Army wife of ten years and married to Tom, who has served our country for 14 years. Working around five PCS moves and six (soon to be seven) deployments, Heather and Tom are raising Lily (6), Avery (4), and four-month old RJ.
Want more articles, tips, information and inspiring stories? Like HH6 Camo Chix on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our blog to receive our posts via email. Want to learn about being a guest-blogger for HH6 Camo Chix or have an idea for an article or post? Let us know!
Related articles
In most likelihood, a sufferer viagra sales uk will run away from the person so easily. It’s especially effective in curing male impotence but increases female libido too. discount generic viagra They relax the blood online viagra vessels that cause an erection. It is a sexual disorder which signifies a person’s disability tadalafil prices to achieve or maintain an erection during sexual intercourse.