Phil..my son-in-law.... a real American hero

As promised in my last journal entry, I said I wanted to tell you about my son-in-law Phil. Phil lived 3 houses down from us, and had a very tough upbringing. His parents were divorced and alocholics. When his dad did live at home Phil and his brother got the brunt of his mom and dads fighting. Like many kids in that postion when he got into his teens he got into some small trouble with the law.
When my oldest daughter turned 16 her and Phil started dating, she was afaird to tell her mom and me, she knew her mom would explode. Well her mom and me ended up divorcing after i got sick. So Autymn told me about her and Phil, and I liked Phil, all teens have there problems. Well Autymn ended up getting pregant right before starting her senior year
I was very sick by then with my kidney failure, and Phil was living with us. This kid would get up at 4:30am three times a week to take me to dialysis. I was just too sick to drive. Well after my grandson was born Phil joined the National Garude. Well the next August he got called to go to Iraq, were he would spend the next 16 months fighting for his country.
Phil was a gunner and medic in a humvee unit, they would sweep into towns and house looking for bad guys. Here is a 21 year old kid seeing things no man or woman of any age should see, plus he was in 4 different road side explosions. The last one that hit there humvee killed 2 of his buddies, Phil said they were almost blown in half and there was nothing he could do to save them. He did save 2 other of the men in the vehicle, while being wounded himself. For his actions Phil received the Purple Heart and Silver Star, but he paid a high price for all of this.
When he got home he ahs been diagosed with TBI (tramitic brain injury) and Ptsd. Being in 4 different explosions they basically told him his brain was rattled around so much that it was injured. Her is a 24 year old man who's life has been changed dramictally, he is on 100% disability,from the Army, has been told to just collect your benifits and get on with life. No this man is a fighter, he starts college here in a couple of weeks, he wants to make something of himself. As far as I am concerned he already has, doing what he did in Iraq,this young man is a true American hero like all others who are serving their country in the war zones
I am so proud to call this young man my SON...I dont call him son-in-law, he is like a song too me, and this country can use a whole more like him, he is agreat father to my grandchildren and a great husband to my daughter, he does have some problems from what hjas happened, but hell he is a fighter and he will beat the problems
. I know this is arather long entry but i felt the need to tell his story, he is such a big part of my family, we all love him and we are honered to have him in the family..thanks for letting me have the privelage of tell in you all about Phil...brian