tonight my cousin r.j. called to tell us that he is being deployed to iraq (or somewhere over there...) in september.
he wanted to talk to all of us before he leaves.
i won't get to see him before he leaves.
he's going to pittsburgh to visit some other family.
one of his other cousins is about to have a baby.
then he's going home to see his parents, brother and sister in iowa.

i don't get to see him very often anyway.
they lived in ohio for a long time.
then moved to iowa.
then 2 years ago he decide that he was going to join the army.

he told me that he is going to be stationed at an air force base somewhere.
he's a medic.

i almost cried when i hung up the phone with him.
i know his mom, my aunt susan, is scared to death.
i'm pretty sure once he gets sent over the whole family will be a wreck with all the stories on the news.


robert john levesque jr.
we love you and support you.
be safe.
see you in 14 months.