I Believe In Our Troops

                                                         Diana Pinto

I BELIEVE IN OUR TROOPS

Diana Pinto

I believe in not worrying about tomorrow. I am not saying that I don’t believe in making plans for the future--I do--but I believe that by not worrying about events that I have little or no control over--such as life and death and love and happiness--I can make daily decisions based on reality, instead of living with doubts, fears, and anxieties.  In other words, I live each day to the fullest.Two events in my life have taught me this important lesson.

Throughout the 22 fast and eventful years of my life, I have always planned for the future. I always set goals for myself and planned ahead and outlined the path I planned to take. I remember at the age of eight or nine thinking about the year 2000 and about all the possibilities ahead of me.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do: study Psychology at a university in the United States. I knew that I wanted to travel around the world.  I also knew that I did not want to be held back or become trapped or be married to anyone.  I thought my destiny would always be my own and under my control.  As my parents always said, “Diana, premature is your middle name.”  I responded that I enjoyed having life under control. It gave me a sense of security and personal accomplishment. But on June 7, 2006, this belief underwent a giant change. First, I fell in love. And I didn’t fall in love with just anyone.  I fell in love with Darcos, a U.S Marine with a huge heart and a great passion for life. Two months into our relationship, he left for Iraq.  From this point forward, all I thought about was how I would live if death stole my better half during the war. I suddenly lost the one thing I always had--control--and I realized that I couldn’t predict what would happen anymore. A greater force had taken the wheel.

On August 8th, 2006, Darcos left at 4:35 a.m. for a seven-month tour of duty in Iraq.  When he left, we had been together for two months. It has now been four months that he is gone, and we celebrated our six-month anniversary this past December.  So I have also lost control of time. We have not been able to celebrate special holidays together and we will not have this opportunity for a while. He tells me that I have a lot to think about but nothing to worry about. But I wonder what my life would be without him and I cry. Somehow, Darcos manages to call me every day to let me know he is okay.  He always tells me, “Patrol is over. I have lived through one more day!” I know he is trying to tell me how surprised he is to defy death another day. His fellow Marines are injured inches away from him, and sometimes sudden gut instincts save lives in an instant.

Darcos wakes up every day not knowing the outcome, but he chooses to face life with great hope and optimism despite the atrocities of war.  And in so doing, he has given me the strength and hope to take each day as it comes. Each day is filled with challenges, and now I face them with the same hope and optimism that he does.  Every day could be my last day, and therefore I know if I am to leave my mark on this world, I must do so without doubt or fear or anxiety, too.  I am very thankful for that.  And now I believe in love and in the soldiers who serve on my behalf.