近距离内射合集

LOVINGTON 鈥� Just after midnight on April 26, 2004, Marine Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin recorded a message to his fiancee, Tiffany Hegstad.

鈥淕oing on a mission tomorrow,鈥� he said in part of the recording. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen. 鈥� It鈥檚 pretty crazy. So, at least I got to talk to you and tell you I love you.鈥�

About 11 hours later, the 21-year-old machine-gunner was with his platoon in Fallujah, Iraq, when they were attacked from three directions.

In the first 15 minutes, the enemy fired rocket-propelled grenades and thousands of machine gun rounds, injuring more than a dozen Marines. After ensuring they received treatment, Austin rallied the rest of the platoon and rushed to a rooftop defensive position. As he attempted to throw a grenade, Austin was shot multiple times in the chest.

鈥淯ndaunted by his injuries and with heroic effort, Lance Corporal Austin threw his grenade, which exploded amidst the enemy, halting their furious attack,鈥� according to his Silver Star citation.

Austin was resuscitated twice before dying while being prepped for surgery, his mother De鈥檕n Miller said.

Austin, a member of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, E Company weapons platoon, was during Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System. The operation was part of the Global War on Terrorism that began after Sept. 11, 2001, when hijacked planes were flown into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

鈥淲hen I (think about) 9/11, I just think about the loss, not only of Aaron, but everyone else, too,鈥� Hegstad said.

A call to serve

Austin was born July 1, 1982, in Amherst, Texas.

Miller, a former U.S. Army specialist, said Austin 鈥渇ell in love with the military鈥� when he was young.

鈥淗e would dress in my BDUs (battle dress uniform) and boots,鈥� she said.

In 2001, when Austin was a senior at Lovington High School, he briefly joined the U.S. Army鈥檚 Delayed Entry Program but would leave weeks later because he did not enjoy it, Miller said. 

A few weeks after 9/11, however, Austin decided to enlist in the Marines.

鈥淲hen 9/11 happened, he just felt like he was called to do that and to stand up, and that鈥檚 what he did,鈥� Hegstad said.

He was sworn in on Oct. 22, 2001. More than a year later, in February 2003, he was shipped off to the Middle East.

During that first deployment, Miller, 71, said she never had the news off, and 鈥渋t was not an uncommon thing for me to just come home and cry.鈥�

鈥淚 was pretty much a wreck when he was gone on that first trip, and it was really hard on me because I was concerned about him,鈥� she said.

In July 2003, after Austin鈥檚 tour ended, he went to San Diego where he was stationed. It was there that a friend introduced him to Hegstad.

鈥淪he鈥檚 like, 鈥楬e鈥檚 crazy. He鈥檚 loud and he was coming back from his first tour,鈥欌�� Hegstad, 44, said. 鈥淎nd I was like, 鈥極K. I鈥檓 going along for the ride.鈥欌��

From the moment they met, she said, Austin 鈥渨as very persistent with me.鈥�

鈥淗e was not willing to accept that I wasn鈥檛 interested as an answer, and he just tried everything he could,鈥� Hegstad said.

After months of talking 鈥渁nd just seeing the qualities in him and knowing that he would be a good partner in life 鈥� I just knew he was the one,鈥� she said.

Hegstad said while she was thrilled about Austin being in the military, when he got his orders to head back to the Middle East in February 2004, 鈥渋t was scary.鈥�

鈥淎nd being young as I was, I just didn鈥檛 think about the 鈥榃hat if?鈥欌�� she said.

鈥業 just knew鈥�

Austin and Hegstad spent their last night together in San Diego.

鈥淲e talked about our life and what it was going to be like when he got back,鈥� she said. 

Austin shipped out on Feb. 29, 2004. Less than three weeks later, on March 18, he proposed to Hegstad from Kuwait. She accepted.

Over the next several weeks, Hegstad said while she tried to stay positive and busy, she 鈥渒new how bad it was鈥� in the Middle East. That month, on March 31, four Blackwater private security contractors were killed in Fallujah, where Austin was.

Hegstad picked up her wedding dress on April 26. Later in the day, she said Miller called and told her, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a good feeling.鈥�

鈥淎nd I said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 either,鈥欌�� Hegstad said.

About an hour later, around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., Miller said two Marine casualty assistance calls officers came to her house and told her Austin had been killed.

鈥淢y whole world fell apart,鈥� she said.

As Miller digested the news, Hegstad got a call from Miller鈥檚 husband, Greg Miller.

鈥淗e said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know how to tell you this,鈥� and I just knew,鈥� Hegstad said.

On Dec. 9, 2004, two days before Hegstad was supposed to marry Austin, Miller wrote her a letter. Part of it said: 鈥淚 cannot replace Aaron, but I will be here for you as long as you should ever need me, in whatever capacity that life and grace both grant us.鈥�

鈥業t is in pain and loss that we know what love is鈥�

Last month, Hegstad鈥檚 husband, Nick Hegstad, drove her six hours from North Texas so she could surprise Miller in Lovington.

After the women embraced, they went to Austin鈥檚 old room, where they looked at photos, dog tags he wore when he was killed, and a quilt that included pieces of his uniforms and a copy of his Silver Star citation.

鈥淓ven though it didn鈥檛 turn out the way that we thought it would, it hadn鈥檛 turned out horrible,鈥� Miller said.

鈥淣o,鈥� Hegstad said.

鈥淩omans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, and those who are called according to His purposes,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淎nd I will always believe that Aaron was called to his purpose. I might never know what life needed to be saved. I don鈥檛 have to know. That鈥檚 my trust and my faith.

鈥淎nd Tiffany has a wonderful family and we still love each other today like we loved each other then. In fact, we love each other 鈥︹��

鈥淢ore,鈥� Hegstad said before hugging Miller.

鈥淢ore,鈥� Miller continued, 鈥渂ecause we are survivors and it is in pain and loss that we know what love is about.鈥�

Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.