My name is Eddie Good Dog.

I live in Pierre, South Dakota, on the rez.  I am Sioux and am very proud of my Native American heritage.

I am 28 years old.  I am married, with a wife, Fiona, and a baby boy named Charles (Charlie) Edward.  He is five months old and is as cute as a bug.  I love him so much!  My wife and I have been married for three years; I met her 10 years ago in high school, senior year.  We fell in love almost instantly.

I am a disabled Veteran.  Second Iraq war; got injured two years ago; wasn't even in Iraq a year when I got hurt after joining the Marines.  What a rip off!  Lost my leg in the war and part of my hand; I am 100% disabled and now get a pension for my injuries.  I wanted to make a difference; fat lot of good it did me ....

Bitter?? You bet I'm bitter!  Doesn't help that I am in constant pain as a reminder of what happened to me.

I go to fight the enemy; enemy used one of their own to bomb us; six people in my troop died; I and two others survived, but I ended up with the short end of the stick; I was the one most seriously injured.  It's a wonder I wasn't killed.  Maybe it would have been better if I did die, but then I wouldn't have gotten the little boy we now have in our lives, so maybe, just maybe, life may be worth living .... Little Charlie is the only shining light in my life, besides Fiona, of course.

I used to play baseball and football; now I can't even walk without incredible pain.  Also can't move my arm any good, and can't hold onto things with two fingers and part of a hand.  I face more surgeries on my hand; it's pretty much deemed useless.

I have had to learn how to do things one handed and write with my opposite hand.  It's a lot harder than it looks .... doesn't take much for me to get tired ....

Well, I am going to go; the pain in my hand is maddening and so is the pain in my leg; gotta go and lie down for a while.  I will write in here again soon; until later, this is Eddie Good Dog saying so long!

~Eddie.  :(

~End of part one!~