Author Cecilia A. Garcia

Memorial Day is always a solemn day for me, but this year, it has an even deeper meaning, as it’s the 22nd anniversary of my Alive Day. As I pay my respects to all my fallen brothers and sisters, I also take a moment to reflect on what I have learned about my own journey of surviving war and a roadside bomb attack. If I could go back to the afternoon of May 25, 2004, and face my blood-soaked self, these are the 22 things I would tell her: 1. The person you were before today i

For days leading up to May 25, I have been trying to think of something meaningful to write. With the impending 20th anniversary of the explosion, I felt I should have a well-written, thoughtful statement to share with the world.

May 25, 2004, is a date that has permanent residence in my brain. Throughout the years, I have tried hiding from the events of this day, I have tried out running the traumas, I have spoken out about them, and finally, I have faced those memories.

After my battle buddy was flown out of Iraq to Germany, I was in shock. The first night back, I sat in my camping chair and just stared straight ahead as fellow soldiers and my roommate tried to talk to me. I couldn’t tell you one word they said, or if I said anything back to them. All I could think about was my battle buddy, lying in my lap, repeating over and over again that he would never see his unborn son.

Since my last five years of blogs mysteriously disappeared, we are going all the way back to 2021 and reposting every single one again. In this post, I share what it was like right after I was injured by an improvised explosive device.