1. My nephew, SGT Brandon Crane, an infantry squad leader, administering an IV to a wounded soldier in his unit after an attack in Iraq in early 2005. All infantrymen are trained in emergency First Aid in today's Army. Full Story Pages Cover - 3 Pages 4 - 6 The Return Home (bottom of page)
2. Soldiers screaming that other soldiers are trapped in the burning Bradley. They both died. Brandon is in the front right foreground tending to the wounded.
3. Brandon in somber reflection after the deaths of two of his soldiers..
Full Story Pages Cover - 3 Pages 4 - 6
The Return Home
Alexandria Daily Town Talk Alexandria, LA August 25, 2005 Section: News Page: 1, 3A Eugene Sutherland Staff The Town Talk |
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esutherland@thetowntalk.com (318) 487-6380 It wasn't a large wound, but the staff sergeant could feel the pain in the sweltering glare of the Iraqi sun. But Tioga native Brandon Crane did his best to ignore it, knowing his troops looked to him for unflinching guidance. The Louisiana National Guardsman knew his left shoulder was not right after an improvised explosive device detonated near him. Later, he learned the damage included torn ligaments and a total loss of hearing in his left ear.But the 156th Infantry Brigade GIs under his watch could not know that. Crane toughed out the injury. Afterward, he refused a trip home for treatment. Amid lingering pain, Crane finally returned home Wednesday night to Alexandria International Airport to the people who need him here: his family.Decked in red, white and blue, Crane's daughters, 4-year-old Brianna and 5-month-old Ashtyn, mobbed him on sight. Alida, his wife of five years, hugged Brandon repeatedly and stayed as close as possible to him. His mother, April Simmons, also got in her share of hugs. Proud father Paul Crane watched with pride from a slight distance, biding his time to express that feeling to his son."It's kind of like, 'Wow!'" Brandon Crane said. "I don't think I've done anything special. My guys did all the tough work. They make me look good. They take care of me out there. "Just to see all these people here, I didn't know it was gonna be nothing like this."The 1997 Tioga High School graduate was swarmed by well-wishers and signs such as "Welcome home Staff Sgt. Crane -- our hero" and a number of other similar signs in the airport parking lot. "There were times, of course, when I just wanted him to come home," Alida Crane said. "But I supported him, because this was what he wanted to do. He's a soldier."He's such a nice, big, strong husband and father. I just thank God he called and let me know right after (the injury) happened, so I wouldn't worry. I left it in God's hands, and now he's here!" Family members weren't complaining. Amid the fanfare, one supporter screamed the words "Get 'er done!," a reference to the slogan of comedian "Larry the Cable Guy." Others, like Crane's aunt, Pam Lee, expressed their feelings in more subtle fashion. She cried. A bunch.The moment her father came into view after stepping off his plane, Brianna kept repeating, "Daddy's here!" to a room of anxious smiles. Paul Crane's enthusiasm was tempered somewhat by the thought of his son's 156th brothers who would not return. He mentioned Rob Sweeney III, Bill Manuel, Nicholas Olivier and Seth Strahan by name."Right now, I just thank the Lord he took care of my boy," Paul Crane said. "I'm so very proud of him. To be honest, it's really about the fulfillment of his lifelong dream to be a soldier. He was there when Bill Manuel was killed. That set him back, but he kept on. He's more man than I'll ever be. He's my hero."They say this generation is lazy and won't do nothing, but each one of these young men are heroes." Brandon Crane saw the war coming. He joined the Guard at 17. He could have let his service time end just before Operation Iraqi Freedom began. He re-enlisted in anticipation of the war. He has served a total of nine years.Twenty minutes before her son's arrival, Simmons was the picture of anticipation. He'd be here, but that wasn't quite enough. She wanted her boy all to herself, to ask him if he was OK, to make sure he'd eaten well, to hug him. She was flanked by her husband, Mike Simmons.Brandon Crane's sister, 18-year-old LSU-Alexandria student Stacey Crane, welcomed her brother alongside her mother. That was appropriate, considering the two were in constant prayer together while Brandon Crane was in Iraq. "I want to touch my son," April Simmons said. "I want to make sure he's OK. Once I see he's OK, then I'm going to be OK. I haven't been able to talk to him lately, but the e-mails back and forth helped. It's not easy being a (military) mom, but whenever I started wondering about him being over there, Mike would remind me. That helped, too."Citing the 27-hour trip from Iraq, Brandon Crane was brief with his words. The words he did allow were direct. "My unit was hit again just after I left," he said. "But they're all doing OK. One of my guys had a massive head wound, and he's in the hospital. It's still dangerous. But they'll be all right. They're soldiers."### |