Memorial Day

This weekend for me was absolutely nothing but another weekend about ten years ago. Then on July 25th 2000 I was in San Antonio Texas wondering what the hell i just did. I was in an airport with a bunch of other kids my age being yelled at and told that if i had any candy, magazines or other crap i would be in so much trouble. With in the next few hours my safe little world with my mother turned up side down. I got screamed at cause i was unable to get my locker open fast enough. I got screamed at for not standing on the right side of my bed. Then i got screamed at for not reporting in "Sir Or Ma'am airman Wickline reports as ordered" ha ha ha ha. Then they let us sleep. They let us sleep in but that was the very last time. 4am we got up to run and exercise. I thought i would die. I did four honorable years in the Air Force. The Air Force changed my life. I met my husband in the military because of my choice to join. Our way of life is amazing! The people we have met, the places we have been and the things our children will see and get to be apart of is some thing i cant imagine missing out on. It baffles me that more people dont join the military. The life experience, the benefits, the pay, the housing, and on and on and on!!! It baffles me even more that its not a requirement as a citizen or at least to vote. Yep it is a free country.
Our journey as a military family these last nine years has been one of ups and downs, happy times and sad times and memories that will last through the generations.
My husband is celebrating his 12th year of service. I am so very proud of him. The military has been a struggle for him. He is a funny, laid back kinda guy that wants to get to know you and be your friend. The military is black and white, these are the rules you either follow them or you dont! He has come a long way. He has done some amazing things in the military. He has experienced the best and the worst.
In my little four years in i deployed over seas once. I put my hand in the warm waters of the Persian gulf. It was warm and slippery. Gross - i wouldnt do it again. ha ha ha I walked amongst women in burka's and men staring me down cause i was a blond hair blue eyed gal in a brunette brown eyed world. It wasnt safe for me to go any where in that town with out at least 3 or 4 men with me. I had a blast and saw things i never thought i would ever see. I saw members of the Army come to the base i was at for RnR with bandages and stories of avoiding bullets or healing from shrapnel. I had to answer a phone once for an in flight emergency. I was so afraid. One engine on a C4 had been shot off and i was so afraid that plane was going to land on top of us. Turns out its called a C4 because it has four engines. It was fine it was just a precaution they had to take. I relaxed then went to the bathroom, i thought i was going to throw up.
Now my husband has been through it all. He has helped build bases, gave mouth to mouth to save a fellow service member, loaded dead bodies on helicopter's so that they could be returned to loved ones, he has held injured Iraqi children in hospitals that lost their parents to suicide bombers and he has seen the world. I will never know every thing he does because there is a piece of all of us that we keep with in. Letting it out makes it all the more real.
We have lost friends to the war, to suicide, to drinking and other accidents. Specifically a year and some months ago we lost a very dear friend. My husband had just talked to him that day. They made plans for him to bring his wife to our house for Thanksgiving. With in a few hours we got the call he had shot him self. No one knows why he did it. We never will. But its all apart of the camaraderie between service members that makes it that much harder to see him leave us in this world alone. That is one less person who we trust to have our back that is no longer with us.
So on this Memorial Day not only do i know the sacrifices that are made, but i was in the middle of that area where those things happen to people, my husband has frequented that hell over the past few years. It is real to us. We feel it, we see it, we know and understand it. That blank check that is written to the US is a very real situation. You have grown men get sent overseas with no idea where they are going and with nothing else to do they crawl in their sleeping bags on those flights and they cry and they pray.
I am so very thankful that there are people out their willing to risk it all. I am so thankful for the people that support members of the military. I am so thankful to the members and their families who unfortunately gave all. It cant be undone, taken back or made up for. When a life is lost/taken it is sad, when a young 18 year old man signs up knowing his chances of death are great and then it happens that is beyond sad yet filled with honor and a level or respect that only those who sign that dotted line should receive.
Thank you Thank you Thank you for all you all do. For those i have served with, my husband has served with, those veterans and members currently service - you are in my thoughts and in my heart. Your family members and communities are in my thoughts as well. There isnt enough big fancy words in the English language to express my gratitude. May all those before me Rest In Peace and those who come after me, may peace be on your side.
Thank a military member, donate to a military organization, volunteer your time to Veterans - there is so much that can be done for, to and in honor of all service members.