My Brush With An American Hero

Tonight, there are TWO new episodes of The Locator on WE tv. The first is one of my absolute favorites! (Although I think I may say that every week, I love ALL of these courageous people!)

 

But this one really touched a deep place in my soul, perhaps because it centers around a 25-year-old U.S. soldier who has just returned from combat in the Middle East, and paid a high price. His name is Chad, but in my mind, I think of him as Travis. That's my little brother's name, and he too is 25 and has just returned from the frontlines of the war in Iraq. BOTH of them are heroes in my mind.

As I spoke with Chad, I could clearly see he has constructed some very tall, thick walls around his emotions, which must be a survival skill learned in combat because I have seen it before. But I just knew that behind his concrete exterior, was the heart of a boy...a boy who had seen and experienced things NONE of should have to see, and thankfully never will have to because of soldiers like Chad who do it for us. It was my goal to find a way to gently bring him out of that safe but lonely place he had created for himself in the far corners of his mind. The journey was difficult and awkward at times, but I believe you will "feel" it as he emerges. That metamorphosis changed me at the core.

I hope you will urgently email everyone you know, especially the families of U.S. soldiers and urge them to watch tonight's episode. It may bring some understanding, insight and hopefully inspiration and hope to those who love these brave men and women that have come home from combat a bit more distant or withdrawn than they were before they left. PASS IT ON ASAP, please.

And Then There Was Little Alexia...

The second episode of the night will be about a wonderful young woman named Alexia, who made me feel very paternal around her. I wasn't trying to be a fatherly figure, but when I'm around these young 'kids' who are making life-changing decisions, I just can't help but try to shield and protect them. Maybe that's what happens when you have 7 children--you just see ALL kids as your own. She is wonderful, brave, fragile yet strong. I learned a lot from being around her.

Her father was a man who I was prepared to not be at all pleased with based on what little I knew, but I tried to follow my own advice, which is to remember there are THREE sides to every story. I'm glad I held to that principle, because he is a fine man with a sincere capacity to love genuinely. I'm anxious for you to meet these two people and watch what unfolds for them!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

I mentioned last week that we get a LOT of e-mails asking about my family. One of my sons, Treston, helps read the postings on the websites (especially the myspace page) and he asked if he could create a little family blog that takes folks behind the scenes of our family and answers questions from you. Well, with MUCH hesitation, I agreed but with numerous conditions. So, he has started a blog which he calls The Dunn Family Behind The Scenes and you can see it at http://www.thedunnfamilybts.blogspot.com/. It looks like he is shooting videos and posting them there, so go check it out. He even has a twitter account. Here is his and mine: His is http://twitter.com/dunnfamily and mine is http://twitter.com/thelocator.

Well, I better go. Josalin has a softball tournament and YOU need to go tell everyone you know (and don't know) to please watch The Locator! Remember, the more people who tune in to support family-friendly TV, the more families my team and I can reunite!

God bless you and ESPECIALLY our troops and their extraordinary families who wait for them to come home. May the Lord hear and answer your prayers.

Troy
"The Locator"