Oct 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 10

GUEST COMENTARY Alex

GUEST COMENTARY Alex Ramon To Serve with Love. Since time immemorial, dogs have owned the position of “mans best friend”. These fury companions are here for us during good times and bad. They support us and listen without judgment. I discovered the power of this connection in a surprising set of circumstances surrounding the death of my only son. After three combat tours as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, Alex came home for the last time and began facing a difficult transition. Many painful combat memories and adjustments to civilian life suddenly came to the forefront. The feelings my son had following his 10-year honorable stint of service are common among combat veterans. Enter Rocco. A black English Lab purchased by our son on a whim. We first laid eyes on this bundle of joy as a pup during one of our son’s many visits. On one memorable occasion, Rocco donned a service Vest with a bright red Marine Corps emblem. Now, he was Gunny Rocco our son’s Service dog. Aptly, it is military custom that a serviceman’s dog is always one rank higher than his owner. The two became inseparable. Through many a hardship, including a failed marriage, college, oil field work, recurring nightmares, and 22 The BLUES struggles adjusting to peace time, Gunny Rocco was always there, distinguished, loyal, and ready to serve wherever Alex took him. Our sons service dog crisscrossed the country many times without complaint. Just to be with his owner was the joy of his life for this big beautiful black lab. We were Gunny Rocco’s babysitter on school nights from 6:00 to 9:00 and sometimes on date nights. Our son’s black lab would look at me, and I would look at him, and we both would look at the clock waiting for our son’s arrival. This intuitive lab would be more than ready to leave. Admittedly, the relief was somewhat mutual as I was still getting accustomed to a 110lb. dog in our home. Gunny Rocco knew when it was a 9:00pm and would go straight to the front door to wait for Alex. Then one night, after celebrating the completion of the Law Entrance Exam earlier in the day, Alex did not come for Rocco. His loyal dog was still laying by the door waiting for his master the following morning when we discovered our son would never come home again. No words can describe the loss of your only beloved Son. During the previous night of celebration, he mixed alcohol with his prescribed Opioids for PTSD. We, along with his dog. were devastated. Life slowly progressed and I became Gunny Rocco’s new partner. It was a slow trust that man and beast had to earn from each other. Rocco would accompany us to Ft. Sam National Cemetery to visit our son’s grave. It

would amaze my wife and me when Rocco would whimper at his gravesite. The local news station, Kens TV, took note of this amazing behavior and documented it. It aired in a news story entitled, KENS TV Grieving Father. The story was nominated for the 2018 Lone Star Regional Emmy Awards under category of best Military-News Single Story (produced by Marvin Hurst). Rocco’s story and his bond with my son is similar to other stories. I also witnessed how a dog named Ruby changed two lives in a way I could never have imagined. And never did I ever think this new dog would end up impacting my life so intensely like Rocco had. While mourning the passing of our son, my only brother, Norbert Ramon was a huge comfort, checking in on us daily. During my son’s passing, he postponed a scheduled colonoscopy to be with my wife and me. Eight months later, a new appointment, a suspicious polyp, and dreadful news: advanced stage IV Colon cancer and 12 to 18 months to live. From that point, time was blurred. My brother elected to continue working as a Houston Police Traffic Officer. He refused to let cancer rule his life. His wife Cindy, and I brainstormed ways to lift my brother’s spirits. Since my brother was an avid duck hunter, we decided to get him a puppy he could train and take duck hunting in the fall. Enter Ruby. An American black lab that was acquired through the help of Gunny Rocco’s trainer, also a former Marine. Ruby was beautiful. And she and my brother bonded instantly. They were inseparable and we were thrilled to welcome them on their visits to San Antonio. All welcomed Ruby, except Gunny Rocco. Their age difference and Ruby’s habit of jumping on Rocco to nip at his ears would annoy and frustrate him. Rocco would leave the room and hide. As Ruby got a little older, my brother enrolled her in duck retrieving school in preparation for the hunting season. Ruby was smart and learned to retrieve quickly but would only do it on her terms. It was comical. During my brother’s visits to the trainer to see Ruby’s progress and new skills, she would deliberately ignore the trainer. She rapidly made a bee line to my brother and faithfully stayed glued to my brother’s side. She cried and cried when visiting hours were over and she had to be kenneled. It was obvious that Ruby was not school material. My brother could not tolerate seeing his dog cry and withdrew her from the school. Those were happy days for my brother and Ruby. They both would spend countless hours exploring open fields, retrieving decoys from a nearby lake and just taking drives in his truck. Then one day, Hurricane Harvey made an unwelcome visit to Texas. At this stage, my brother’s condition was rapidly worsening. The Hurricane hit Houston and surrounding area with a vengeance. It was all hands-on deck. Norbert was exempt from work that day but still attempted to help. The flooding prevented safe passage to his assigned police substation. Norbert detoured and reported to Houston Boat Patrol near the Lake where he lived. His presence was welcomed since my brother was very experienced in handling boats and they were shorthanded. He assisted in rescuing thousands of Houstonians from the flood waters. He continued working in bacteria laden water until no longer needed. Officers at the boat patrol were not aware of his condition or diagnosis. A few good friends knew the situation and reported it to the media and the story caught on more broadly. The National News picked up on the story and my brother became a celebrity overnight. Then it happened. In my brothers own The BLUES 23