[Read] PDF/Book Roadside: My Journey to Iraq and the Long Road Home by Dylan Park-Pettiford
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Swept up in the patriotism that enveloped the United States after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Dylan ParkPettiford enlisted and was sent to Iraq. When the US government announced it was looking for more interpreters, young Brahim wanted in. The chances of making it to the end of a contract weren't great but the prospect of better pay and a special immigrant visa to the United States were enough for him not to be deterred. Over the following year, Dylan would bring Brahim food and toiletries to keep him going; Brahim would bring intel to keep Dylan and my friends alive. When Dylan's tour was over, the only solace Dylan had was knowing he would not be there to witness another friend getting hurt. Dylan returned to a world that had moved on without him. He would go through a soul-crushing divorce, a bout of homelessness, struggles with prescription drugs and alcohol, and a penchant for bar fights that led to time behind bars. Looking for a fresh start, he packed his bags and moved to Arizona. He caught a few breaks here and there, got a college degree, and moved to Hawaii. He'd overcome the odds. And life was pretty damn perfect. Until the violence Dylan thought he left in the Middle East had followed him home. His younger brother Rory, the most important person in his life, was killed in an attempted carjacking. He headed home to family. In the taxi from the airport, the chatty driver asked what Dylan did, so he mentioned that in a previous life he had been a soldier in Iraq. The driver was from Iraq. He asked what Dylan did there--dodged bullets in a place called Kirkuk, he said. He was from Kirkuk. He stared at Dylan in the rear view mirror. His demeanor was no longer a jovial one. Dylan demanded that he pull over. When he eventually did, Dylan was ready for a fight. Then the driver turned around, grabbed his leg, and said: Dylan, do you remember me? It's me, Brahim. In a world marred by a seemingly endless wave of negativity, this story of
love, loss, and brotherhood may be be a slight glimmer of hope as we face an uncertain future. Roadside is about life and death, about family lost and gained, and about America, as a dream and a reality. It's about the roads one takes to leave home and find it again.