While I was at Red 6's welcome home ceremony yesterday, my husband left a message on the answering machine. He's now "acting commander" for his entire battalion in Iraq: he's the highest ranking person still in sector. Everyone else is home or already in Kuwait. My biggest sorrow is that those 86 soldiers will be totally forgotten when they arrive here in March. No one will even remember there's a war on.
But when Mrs. Sims leaves a comment on your pity-party post, it's time to cowboy up.
Life could be a lot rougher.
Red 6 and I had a great time catching up. It's wild that the minute he stepped into our house, it was like he never left. How many times have I cooked dinner while he watched Futurama? (Granted, he was always watching with my husband, but still.) It felt like a time warp, like nothing had changed and like it was only last week that I'd seen him on the sofa.
It's good to know that some things never change.
MORE TO GROK:
I still can't get over her comment. She would have been completely justified to start with "Listen here, you whiny bitch...", but she's as polite as can be. She is trying to make me feel better! I will never be able to put into words how amazing I think this woman is.
Red 6 always says that I'm the perfect Army wife. I can only hope to be half the woman that Mrs. Sims is.
Posted by Sarah at February 21, 2005 08:46 AMYes, I'm sitting here at re-integration and I don't feel like I'm done. Sean hasn't come through yet, I haven't been able to say welcome home. Bittersweet is the word for it, although I'm of course happy for all the 185 who came through the tent today.
Posted by: Oda Mae at February 21, 2005 12:12 PMDear Sarah,
You said:
"My biggest sorrow is that those 86 soldiers will be totally forgotten when they arrive here in March."
I'm assuming that you mean the 86 soldiers still with your husband. Will they really be forgotten? Aren't there families that can welcome them? If not, can you throw your energies into welcoming those "late arrivals"? Organize a barbecue (ok, I guess March in Germany probably isn't too warm), make signs, make cupcakes? Not that I think you have all the time in the world, but it might put your mind at ease (somewhat) to make sure that those 86 have the welcome they deserve.
All the best.
Posted by: Carla at February 21, 2005 04:11 PMCarla, I'm gonna do the best I can. But of all of us wives who banded together to welcome home the main body, only three of us have husbands who aren't home. Many of the others will be on leave already. But we'll do what we can to make their homecoming as good as the first.
Posted by: Sarah at February 21, 2005 07:33 PMSarah, if there is anything we can do from stateside to make homecoming special for the remaining 86, please just say the word. I may not be creative, but I will do my best to be resourceful!
Posted by: Jean at February 22, 2005 12:25 AMI second Jean's comment. I'll ship some posters to you, if you'd like. Is there anything that soldiers love that's hard to get in Germany? I can ship a big box of [whatever] over.
Feel better!
Posted by: Carla at February 22, 2005 02:47 PM