Letters for Logan : A Legacy in Letters of the Determination, Drive and Heart of Capt. Derek Argel

by Argel-bastian, Deb

• ISBN13: 9781477213285
• ISBN10: 1477213287
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-06-07
• Publisher: Textstream

Summary

Letters for Logan is the heartfelt story of a mother's timeless love for her son, and the legacy she is compelled to leave her grandson. Air Force Capt. Derek Argel, 28, was larger-than-life--athletic, loving, dedicated, loyal and above all, a son to Debbie, husband to Wendy and father to Logan. Within days of his tragic death in the line of duty on Memorial Day of 2005 in Iraq, the first letter to Logan arrived. Then another came, and they kept coming, from friends, colleagues, warriors and family. They still arrive, even years after the Combat Controller's death, each one weaving an enduring portrait for a little boy of his fallen father, gone too soon. Proceeds from this book will go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, rated as a four-star charity by Charity Navigator. The foundation provides full scholarship grants, educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions, and immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families. The family of Capt. Derek Argel believes wholeheartedly in the mission of the foundation. First there, That Others may Live Nora Wallace

Excerpts

Dear Logan, It has been said that when we are adults, we will be able to count our true friends on one hand. This was not the case with your father. In fact, I can't begin to count the people that he was proud to call his friends. He knew he could count on them, and they could count on him. He listened intently to people and to what they were saying. He cared when he listened. He took the time for his friends and family. He earned their respect, and they earned his. His word and his handshake were his contract, and to his friends a binding and understanding relationship. His departure from this earth to heaven had a step effect that I could never imagine. Some of the friends that wrote these letters, he trusted his life to. They trusted their lives to him. It would be impossible to include all of the letters, notes and stories we received about him. There are hundreds. This book can only offer a short glimpse or a snapshot into his life and those he touched. In fact, when you read some of these you will understand that he is still touching our lives and has made a difference in the lives of so many. These letters really began with two people. Your Dad's lifelong friend had already begun a web page on Memorial Day of 2005. People were able to share their thoughts and some letters on that page. At the memorial service in Florida, your uncle (Big John) had three envelopes containing letters. There was one for me, one for your mother and one for you. If I could tell you just one special thing about your dad, it would be that he was wise beyond his years. If he was sick, he would not take anything for the pain. He said he should experience that pain and know what it was like. He didn't want to take even that moment from his life. He said he wanted to know both pain and joy and that would help make him who he was to become. I didn't know what that meant then, but I know now. The greatest gift that your Dad's friends could have given are these stories. They of course belong to you. You will get all of them just as they were written when it is time. In this book, I have only used call names of your Dad's team mates, or first names only. Because there are so many children that have lost their parents to the recent wars, we hope it will be helpful to other parents, children, friends, relatives. Hopefully, sharing the story of your Dad, will encourage others to write down memories of their own for other families who have lost a loved one. Your dad would want that if it would help in any way. He would be forever thankful to those that took the time to write them to you. I can only share with you how I felt and feel about the loss of my son here on the earth. I can't speak to, or compare anyone else's loss or the impact your Dad had on their lives. This is the beauty of those stories that are shared. These are the stories that bring joy and comfort to us. In this book you will be able to see part of the journey of your Dad's struggles and achievements to attain his personal and military goals. I hope in some way that sharing these memories brings the joy of his life to many, the strength of your mother to all, and the comfort of knowing that your Dad loved you and all that he called friends. Thank you for sharing your stories Logan. Love, Oma May 30, 2005