Writer's Workshop: CPT Tristan Aitken, May 18, 1971-April 4, 2003

The prompts for this week's Writer's Workshop over at Mama's Losin' It are:

1.) Interview a child.
(inspired by Quilao Triplets)

2.) How do you stave off boredom?
(inspired by Jenn's Pen)

3.) Write a poem for the little boy in your life.
(inspired by Life With Kaishon)

4.) Describe a memorable interview or talk about your experience trying to find a job amidst this recession.
(inspired by Lacey)

5.) Create a Help Wanted Ad.
(inspired by Jenners)

This week I'm going to go with number 4: Describe a memorable interview or talk about your experience trying to find a job amidst this recession.

I was a broadcast journalism student in college, so I had the opportunities to interview dozens of people. The interview I remember the most though was with Ronald Aitken, the father of CPT Tristan Aitken, United States Army.

The story itself was about a woman, Mary Vollero, who was making charcoal drawing of all of Pennsylvania's soldiers who had died while serving in Iraq. Tristan had grown up in the next town over from where this woman lived, which is the town I went to college in, so I focused on Tristan and his portrait.

I called Tristan's parents and they agreed to let me interview them for the story. When I got to their house, their living room was filled with Tristan's things. His Army uniforms, items from his Boy Scout days, pictures of him growing up, trophies he'd won for being a soapbox derby champion, books he'd read. His entire childhood and some of adult life, spread out for me to videotape. It was incredibly sad and amazing at the same time. This was the memorabilia of his life.

Ron told me about Tristan. He told me that Tristan had died on April 4, 2003, in Iraq. He said that Tristan's one prayer and wish was that Tristan was able to get all of soldiers home alive. Ron told me that all of his soldiers did come home.

Then Ron and his wife, Ruth, gave something quite unexpected. They let me borrow Tristan's good-bye tape. Before he had left for Iraq, Tristan made a good-bye video for his family and Ron and Ruth wanted me to watch it and use Tristan's own words in my story. I'm still pretty speechless about that. Trusting a complete stranger with your son's last words to you. What can I say about that?

I cried when I watched it. Even now, I'm crying, thinking about watching Tristan on my TV screen... He thought he was coming home to his wife. He was so sure of it. Based on that video, I have no doubt he was a good man and he deserved to come home to his family.

They all deserve to come home.

Whenever I see a list of soldiers who have died in Iraq, I look for his name. I'd never met Tristan, but I'll never forget him either.