Off To The National Guard
by Lyndon Amick-Staff Writer and Busch Series Driver
11/11/2003

Hey Race Fans,

I know it's been a long while since I've last written at Catchfence, but I'm glad to be back and especially at this very special time for me.

As many of you have read within the past year or so, I enlisted into the Armed Forces and have joined the National Guard and the time has come where I'll be departing to the base. I want to let everyone know I'm not hanging up my racing career for good, but more like taking an extended leave of absence while I do something I've always wanted to do.

I'm now in the best physical shape of my life and I feel the time has come where I need to serve my country and give back to the people that have allowed me to race in the past.

Leaving Veteran's day, I'm going to be stationed in Ft. Benning Georgia, which is where I will be located until March. The hardest thing I will be going through is not being able to talk to my wife and my son. For the first three weeks, I only get one phone call home. Everyone will return home for one week for Christmas and then its back to Georgia for training.

There really won't be any communication to the outside world, however I'll have a e-mail address set up through Catchfence and they'll be sent to me and I'll write back to everyone eventually.

Once I return in March, I'll soon head to Alabama for the "Special Forces" training and soon be able to be shipped out where I'm needed. I know I will deploy eventually. I want to apply myself to be the best solider I can be. I don't want to widow my wife, or to leave my young son (Billy) without a father, but my family remains confident in me and I know the same Lord that has watched me race for many years will be with me as I serve my country too.

Am I ready to go? Yeah, I'm ready to go, I've been preparing for this since May of this year. I thought I was going to leave right away, but it didn't happen. I think both physically and mentally I'm fit. However, there are a lot of unknowns. It's not going to be much fun, even though there is a lot of good that comes out of this. I know I'll be a better person though when I graduate.

I've signed with the National Guard for three years, but I could be there for up to five years. It just depends on how I feel, and what I think is best. I'm going to serve my country and when my three years are up and if there is an opportunity to go racing, I'll do it, just as long as it doesn't conflict with my duties, whether it's late models, or NASCAR, but that is years down the road.

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and praises. I'll be thinking about a lot while I'm gone, but this is something I've always wanted to do and it's now going to happen.

I'll be back at Christmas with another article, and after that I'll be writing through the mail, but the column will continue, even if I can't get to a computer.

Take care everyone and thanks again,

Lyndon Amick ARMY National Guard

You can reach Lyndon Amick at: lyndonamick@aol.com