Last month I made a trip to Fort Riley, Kansas, for a very special reason.

Most of my previous trips were in connection with the wounds my son, Staff Sergeant Paul Jordan, received in his last tour in Iraq with the 1st Infantry Division. I spent five weeks in Kansas looking after my grandchildren, Stacey and Ellen, while Paul was recuperating at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Between their dad’s injury and a car wreck they were in a week after Paul and their mom, Dawn, arrived in San Antonio, we were all on an emotional roller coaster ride. It was a blessing that the kids weren’t in school during the time, but the disruption affected them greatly.

In Stacey’s case, he was working on making Eagle Scout for a quite a while due to no fault of his own. That journey started when they were living in Hawaii and Paul was called to active duty with the Hawaii National Guard for 18 months. He spent most of 2005 in Iraq with the Guard during which time he joined the regular Army. From there, he went to Fort Riley. Needless to say, the upheaval had a detrimental effect on Stacey’s progress toward Eagle.

Stacey was able to make progress for the year Paul was back and training to become part of the leading edge of the “Surge.” Then he returned to Iraq in February 2005 to a Forward Operating Base in a parking lot in downtown Baghdad. Although the family back in Kansas didn’t know what Paul’s day-to- day routine was, the stress of the unknown has an effect on those back home.

Friends of the family tried to help Stacey in his journey but the interruptions did have an effect, especially when his dad was wounded and then he and Ellen were in a near fatal accident. It is to Stacey’s credit that he continued his struggle to the desired goal, which he completed about two months prior to his 18th birthday (the end of a boy’s eligibility).

When I was staying with Stacey and Ellen while their dad was recuperating, I promised Stacey I would be there for his Eagle Court of Honor. So last month I flew to Kansas to see my grandson receive the highest rank in Scouting, one that is earned by fewer than 2 percent of all Boy Scouts. It was a momentous occasion.

I am very, very, proud of you, Stacey Scott Jordan! Congratulations for a job well done.

T&D Correspondent Larry P. Jordan can be reached by phone at 803-874-3276.

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