Remembering SGT Travis Van Zoest.
The first picture is of Travis and his youngest brother Tyler at the Grand
Forks armory the day they left to go to Fort Lewis Washington on December 2, 2005. It seems like every picture I look at of the two of them together Travis is either holding Tyler or is very close to him. It just shows how much of a bond they had and I know why Tyler thinks of his brother and misses him so much. Tyler especially misses the times they would play football, or read together. Travis was so much into his younger brothers.
The second picture is of me and Travis. We had these taken in October of
2005. Man I miss that young man so much. Before he was deployed, he worked right across the street from me and would walk over to see me each day on his break. There was not one day that went by where I didn't see him and that beautiful smile of his. The thing I miss the most about Travis, well they are to numerous to name them all, but a few are his smile and his love of life. He so enjoyed everything and wanted to do as much as he possibly could to succed in life. He was going to school online and had gotten an intership at MDU working full time. But he was a family man and as I stated wasnt one day where he wasn't at our house. Usually around dinner or lunch time, but always helped out also. He was my best friend. Someone I could always talk to, there wasn't nothing that Travis and I couldn't talk about, also someone to laugh and always would lend a helping hand no matter how busy he was. I feel so strongly though that I had 21 wonderful years filled with so many memories that I feel very blessed to have had such a treasured relationship with my son, Travis.
I don't always like what has happened but as Travis once told me when he
signed up for the guards,"Mom there are people that are meant for the military and there are people that can't. I want to go so the people that can't don't have to." Also he wanted his brothers and younger people to enjoy this free country that we live in. How can you not be so proud of someone at that age to have made a decision such as being in the military. He also used to tell me, "Mom, I want to make a difference in this world, and I feel he has. I LOVE YOU TRAVIS AND MISS YOU!!!!!!!!
Thank you for listening to me ramble on and hopefully it makes some kind of sense, as some days I don't tend to make a whole lot of it. The feelings just start pouring out.
Love ya lots
