New Army Guard enlistee honors father's legacy, family's military service

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde, of the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper), was killed in action Dec. 3, 2012, while serving with his unit on a route clearance mission in Afghanistan. (U.S. Army National Guard photo)  

BISMARCK, ND, UNITED STATES

11.07.2014

Courtesy Story

North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs

BISMARCK, N.D. - One of the newest Soldiers to join the ranks of the North Dakota Army National Guard not only answered the call to serve his state, community and nation, but also to extend the legacy of his father and honor his family's lineage of military service.

Eric Linde raised his hand Nov. 7 to take the oath of enlistment at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Fargo, North Dakota. His official entry into the North Dakota Army National Guard came nearly two years after his father, Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde, was killed in action Dec. 3, 2012, while on a patrol to neutralize improvised explosive devices during a route clearance mission in Afghanistan.

"We are proud and honored to welcome Eric into our organization and know his father would be proud," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general. "The Lindes are very much a part of our Guard family. We admire their patriotism and will never forget the sacrifices they have made. We remember Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde's service every day, and will continue to honor him along with the 13 other North Dakota Guardsmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the global war on terrorism."

A junior at Century High School in Bismarck, Eric will attend Basic Combat Training this June and, in the summer of 2016, will pursue his Advanced Individual Training, both courses at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

"He's been ready to do this since he was five years old," said Eric's mother, Adrienne Linde. "It's something he knew he was going to do, and we knew he was going to do. It doesn't surprise me that this is something he wanted to continue, even though Darren is not here."

Darren Linde, whose military service spanned over 22 years, enlisted into the North Dakota Army National Guard in 1990. He also spent time serving on active duty and with the Montana Army National Guard. When he returned to the North Dakota Army National Guard, he soon deployed with the Minot-based 164th Engineer Battalion to Iraq from August 2007 to April 2008. In 2009, he began working as a full-time instructor with the North Dakota National Guard's 164th Regional Training Institute at Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake. Eric said he aspired to emulate his father, especially because of his involvement with the combat engineer community.

"Just watching my Dad when I was little; I really liked [the military]. I like hands-on things, and I like to learn and lead," he said. "A lot of it was my Dad would show me [aspects of his job] by saying, 'Hey, here's what I did at work today.' And I'd think 'that's pretty awesome. I want to do that when I'm older.'"

Now, Eric will follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a combat engineer with the Williston-based 818th Engineer Company, the unit Darren served with during his Afghanistan deployment. In addition to honoring his father's memory, Eric said he's motivated to serve in order to "make a difference." He would like to "see the world and eventually deploy overseas."

"I think Eric just wants to make us more proud than we already are. He feels like this is his path," Adrienne said. "[Him becoming a] combat engineer, I think, was a little hard to swallow at first. But, it's important, and we have to support him in whatever he chooses to do."

During his enlistment ceremony at the Fargo MEPS, family members and Soldiers from the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper) were in attendance to show Eric that support. His grandfather, retired Maj. Dwight Linde, who also was a member of the North Dakota Army National Guard, swore Eric in, just like he had done for Darren more than two decades before. Darren's commander from the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper), Maj. Robert Bohl, and the unit's senior enlisted leader, Command Sgt. Maj. Rashad Schaffner, also were at the ceremony.

Schaffner said he still has a poster hanging in his office featuring photos of members of the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper), and he thinks about Darren every day. Over the last year or so, he's stayed in touch with Eric, talking to him sometimes on a daily basis. They often visit, at length, about Eric's future in the North Dakota National Guard.

"Eric is extremely proud of his Dad, his accomplishments and also his grandfather's accomplishments. He's following through with that Linde heritage, to be one of the best," Schaffner said. "It was pretty amazing to sit in that room [during Eric's enlistment], be a part of it and be invited to be there with the family. With the Lindes, since Dec. 3, 2012, I've been able to see that the National Guard is a family, and it never stops. That was depicted that day. They [the Lindes] had invited the Guard to be there as part of that family and it was very touching."

There's also a legacy that Eric will fulfill by being part of the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper), Schaffner said. Especially, since Darren was a revered mentor and leader amongst his fellow combat engineers.

"[Darren's] always going to be there. He left a huge imprint in that unit that will never go away," he said. "It's pretty surreal that his young son will be part of that on-going heritage of that unit."

Other members of the unit, Adrienne said, have reached out and corresponded with Eric during his pursuit of military service to help answer questions about becoming a member of the North Dakota Army National Guard, as well. Some were there to wish Eric well at his enlistment ceremony.

"That was really nice, because a lot of them [818th Soldiers] were the ones that got me through all the paperwork and the recruiting process. It was nice to see them there and watch me finish it," Eric said. "It was also cool to have my Grandpa there. It's kind of like a family legacy."

Adrienne said she's been overwhelmed by the encouragement and concern shown for her family since losing Darren, as well as the family of Spc. Tyler Orgaard, who also was killed in action when an improvised explosive device struck his and Darren's vehicle. The Lindes have found strength and comfort in the relationships forged with members of the 818th Engineer Company (Sapper), the Orgaards and North Dakota's Survivor Outreach Services' representatives.

"We've been very fortunate to have so many great people that knew us before this happened, and also the people that we've met since then. They're not friends of the moment, they are friends forever. They're family," Adrienne said.

The Linde and Orgaard family have participated in a number of Guard memorial events within the state over the past two years. They've also ventured across the county to locations hosting national remembrance ceremonies and family support curriculums. Eric's sister, Alexis Fleener, and Tyler Orgaard's sister, Kristy, together attended the national Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) event last year in Washington, D.C. Through the program, family members from across the nation have the opportunity to network and visit with others who have been impacted by the death of a military family member.

Similarly, Adrienne and Eric last year took part in a Snowball Express event last winter. That program, according to its website, brings together "children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since 9/11." The four-day experience, held in Dallas, Texas, seeks to help children through their grief by "making each child feel special and giving them an opportunity to share their feelings about losing their parent."

"It's funny, because [Eric] doesn't think [his enlistment] is a big deal at all. It is a big deal, because most people wouldn't do this. I think he deserves that credit. I just think for the other kids that have lost their fathers, not just by being in the military, [he's showing them something] by landing on his feet and going on with his dreams," she said.

As for Eric, he plans on being a long-time member of the North Dakota National Guard. In addition to applying for full-time employment with the organization, he'd also like to serve abroad with the active-duty Army.

"People always ask me, 'Why are you allowing this to happen? You've already experienced loss.' I don't see it as a negative," Adrienne said. "Since this has happened, our family has become so incredibly tight. Our love and support for each other, it was always there, but it's almost palpable now. You've got one chance in life to love and support each other and we're going to give it our best shot."

• Date Taken: 11.07.2014
• Date Posted: 12.02.2014 15:25
• Story ID: 149191
• Location: BISMARCK, ND, US