Luke Radlinski (LR) and Mark Radlinski (MR)

LR: I finally said, What am I doing? He’s in Iraq for God’s sake.

MR: Yeah.

LR: So I sent you a long email. And it just picked back up again.

MR: Yeah.

LR: And then I went through other personal issues–getting divorced and everything and… here you were, getting shot at, and helping me out through that time. That meant a lot. And when you came home, that day, if it’s not best day ever, it’s top five days ever.

MR: Interesting thing for us coming off the plane–it was a combination of best day ever and worst day ever. You hear all these people clapping for you. I don’t want to say you don’t feel worthy, but I’m here, 10 fingers, 10 toes, two legs, two arms, and I felt… like I didn’t deserve this kind of reception, because you left a lot of guys, gals back down range.

LR: I think it took you a couple months just to get adjusted.

MR: It did. I still remember walking into Banana Republic with fatigues and buying clothes and just being like 36 hours ago I was jumping on a Black Hawk. It was just bizarre. It didn’t feel like home. I tell you, for the first three weeks after I got back, I was looking at every opportunity I could find to go back down range.

LR: That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.  Like you said, a lot of people didn’t come home. But uh… you are my brother, so I’m going to go ahead and still be happy that you did.  That’s why I still look back at that day in late March 2007 and think Best day ever.