Let me start by saying how sorry I am that I have been MIA from this blog for two entire months but in my defense, what a whirlwind the last two months have been!
As anyone who has been following this blog knows, my son left for BCT (basic combat training) on July 27. He was scheduled to graduate from his OSUT (one stop unit training) on December 17. However, things have changed. Dramatically!
Blaine just recently spent 30 days at home. Why, you ask? Oh, let me tell you...
With just 12 days of BCT remaining, Blaine suffered a pretty severe injury to his ankle during a hand-to-hand training exercise. He wasn't fully off the ground when one of the guys in his platoon took him down to the ground, dislocating his ankle. He called from the ER to try to tell me what was going on. I thought he was sick but he was in a tremendous amount of pain. Now, I've never been faced with my child being deployed or injured abroad but at that moment, he could have been stationed on the moon. My hands were tied, there was nothing I could do except talk on the phone to try to get all the details I could get. I heard surgery. Oh no. The tendons in his ankle were torn and a piece of soft tissue had gotten into the socket and they were unable to put the ankle back in place without surgery. "Mom, can you come?" That's what Blaine wanted to know. When the nurse took the phone and explained what was happening, she asked if I was coming to the hospital. I explained to her that I lived several hundred miles away and that it would take some effort but I would be on the next possible flight if she thought I should. She suggested that I wait and see how he felt the next day before making any plans.
Blaine was in surgery for nearly 3 hours. The doctor called to let me know what was happening and he suggested that I not make any travel plans. Said it might not be a good thing for me to run out there, let him tough it out...I agreed to stay put. Now, I felt like the worst mother in the world. I would never, for a second, think of not being by his side if this had happened here. I didn't think he should go through this alone, but I stayed put. Everybody said to let him be a man, let him grow up...I don't care how old you are, you still need your mom in certain situations!
When I talked to him the next day, he sounded much better. He told me not to worry about coming out, he was going to be fine. He told me how disappointed he was that this happend when it did (if there would ever be a convenient time for something like this to happen!). He was supposed to get his beret on Thursday of that week. And oh yeah, "we were going to throw hand grenades today!" I suggested to him that maybe there was a reason he wasn't supposed to be throwing hand grenades on that particular day.
We were told that they had to wait for the swelling to go down so that they could get him in a cast and he should be home by the weekend. Well, on Friday, they took more x-rays just to see how things were progressing and it was not good. The ankle was not staying together properly and they also found a fracture in his leg that they had missed the first time around. They scheduled him for surgery first thing Saturday morning so that they could put two screws into his ankle to hold it in place while the tendons healed.
Blaine spent nearly two weeks in the hospital. He could hobble around the hospital on his crutches, but it wasn't the same as being with his buddies. There was a girl from his platoon in the hospital at the same time with a hip fracture. They spent some time going back and forth to keep the other company.
I offered to come out, he said no. I offered to send him a care package and he said no. I offered almost every day and he just kept telling me that he would wait until he got home. His spirits just got worse and worse. He would be in the most foul moods, almost brooding. I knew what he needed. He needed a care package! Unfortunately, I waited way too long to send it!
Just the anticipation of the arrival of that package changed his mood. We spent a lot of time texting. I sent him a message, asking if he'd gotten any mail that day. He asked me why. I told him he should be getting something. He asked me what. I told him it was a surprise. He asked me what it was. I told him he'd have to wait. He said ok....followed by what is it? This went on and on for several hours until the package arrived. That is a story in itself and the man in the mail room at General Leonard Wood Community Hospital is an absolute saint!
Anyway, once he got the package, he said it was like Christmas morning! It was close to Halloween so I put in some Halloween candy, some orange and black M&M's, a bag of Reese's mini's (Blaine's favorite), a few buckeyes, a few magazines, a deck of cards and a bag of Army men. Along with it, a note that read:
"If you can't play Army with the big boys, at least you can play Army with these guys."
He left for home shortly after he had gotten his goodies and he was kind enough to share his candy with other soldiers and the nurses. He even taught the nurses about "Buckeyes." Seems that those are a regional thing, they'd never heard of them and he told them how to make them. I'm sure that was tough having all that attention from those pretty nurses!
I finally saw Blaine on October 18, the first time since I watched him board his plane at the end of July. That three months seemed like an eternity. The first thing I noticed was that he was so skinny! Blaine always had a little pudge around the belly, even though he wasn't really heavy but it was all gone now. He always wore that military hair cut, so that wasn't a real shock. But it was nice to just wrap my arms around him and get that big hug!
I walked by the recliner one day while he had his foot all propped up and noticed that his incisions were looking little dry and maybe pulling a little. I went looking for some Neosporin and was told that he didn't want it because he "wanted some really cool scars." Obviously, he's dealing well with all of this! You know what they say, scars make really cool stories!
If I learned anything from this whole experience it would be that if, heaven forbid, anything ever happened again, I will not listen to anyone else. I will not wait to go to my son, to send him a package of goodies, to do whatever I have to do to be there for him.
Thirty days goes by very quickly. I knew that he would be leaving soon but I also knew that he would be coming home again very quickly as he is nowhere near healed. He will be flying home on November 20, I assume, for another thirty day period. He will be home for Thanksgiving. We will make sure to enjoy every moment we have.
The whole experience has made me think. It's made me think about what a parent goes through when their child is injured, or worse, on foreign soil. For that matter, on American soil, as we witnessed just days ago. It's made me think about those families that are apart for not only during the holidays but on birthdays, weddings or even the birth of their own child.
It's made me think about what these men and women give up for us every day. The very fact that they put their lives on the line day in and day out for all of us is an idea so out of my realm of thinking. I mean, come on, who am I to them?
Every person who enters the military does so for their own reasons. Maybe its a long-standing family tradition. Maybe its to honor the memory of someone they love. Maybe its just because there aren't enough jobs out there right now or insurance benefits and they can't afford not to join. Whatever the reason, the result is the same. Some of these soldiers will be changed forever. Some of these soldiers will lose their lives. But its all for us and I can only hope that America never forgets that.
Have I told you lately how proud I am of my soldier?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Remembering
9/11
Just how powerful can three numbers be? The mere mention of 9/11 floods us all with memories. Can it really have been eight years ago? It seems like it is much fresher than that. The details are still vivid. The memories of that day will haunt most of us for the rest of our lives.
I remember the day vividly. I was working, my kids were in school and my husband was at home. So close, but so far away from each other. The internet was bogged down, you could not access any news sites! I was in a panic! My family was spread out and our world as we know it, was under attack. The news reports were starting to trickle in, it was hard to sort the truth from the rumors. Hundreds of people were gone....there was no rumor to that. Policemen, firemen, secretaries, children. It didn't matter who you were, they didn't discriminate. They didn't care. The recordings left on answering machines saying good-bye to loved ones. The calls home from the men and women on Flight 93. How much more could we take? The images, the video, the voices, the faces. Those will all be with me the rest of my life.
I called the school to find out what our kids knew. Blaine was only 10, he was in elementary school. They hadn't been told anything. My daughter was in 8th grade, they were watching the news in their classrooms. At the urging of the school, I didn't go to pick them up, however that went against every fiber of my being. When I did get home, John was at work. The kids and I sat on the bed close together and watched the news, over and over and over. I could not believe what I was seeing. It was surreal to say the least.
I remember my grandmother telling me that she'd never thought she'd live to see anything worse than Pearl Harbor. She said no one should have to live through two of those!
The skies were quiet. Where we usually have a lot of air traffic, there was none. No vapor trails, no sounds of jets. Just eerie quiet.
We all knew that war was imminent. Even those that are so against the idea of war couldn't have felt as strongly after what they had witnessed, could they?
I guess I thought that it would be quick. Like the Gulf War - we go in, we get out. No such luck. Eight years later we are still waging war. Now I am faced with the fact that my son may be part of this war. It's something I try to keep out of my every day thinking, but it's there, nagging at me. What if? I just can't think about it.
The only justification I have is to remind myself what a sacrifice each and every one of these young men and women make when they join our military forces. A responsibility to each and every one of us to keep us safe, to keep us free and to keep something like this from happening again. Our kids are taking care of us. The roles have been reversed.
Today is a somber day of remembrance. A day for us to look around at all that we hold dear. In my opinion, we need to take this day and make sure that each and every person who means anything to us knows it.
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?
Just how powerful can three numbers be? The mere mention of 9/11 floods us all with memories. Can it really have been eight years ago? It seems like it is much fresher than that. The details are still vivid. The memories of that day will haunt most of us for the rest of our lives.
I remember the day vividly. I was working, my kids were in school and my husband was at home. So close, but so far away from each other. The internet was bogged down, you could not access any news sites! I was in a panic! My family was spread out and our world as we know it, was under attack. The news reports were starting to trickle in, it was hard to sort the truth from the rumors. Hundreds of people were gone....there was no rumor to that. Policemen, firemen, secretaries, children. It didn't matter who you were, they didn't discriminate. They didn't care. The recordings left on answering machines saying good-bye to loved ones. The calls home from the men and women on Flight 93. How much more could we take? The images, the video, the voices, the faces. Those will all be with me the rest of my life.
I called the school to find out what our kids knew. Blaine was only 10, he was in elementary school. They hadn't been told anything. My daughter was in 8th grade, they were watching the news in their classrooms. At the urging of the school, I didn't go to pick them up, however that went against every fiber of my being. When I did get home, John was at work. The kids and I sat on the bed close together and watched the news, over and over and over. I could not believe what I was seeing. It was surreal to say the least.
I remember my grandmother telling me that she'd never thought she'd live to see anything worse than Pearl Harbor. She said no one should have to live through two of those!
The skies were quiet. Where we usually have a lot of air traffic, there was none. No vapor trails, no sounds of jets. Just eerie quiet.
We all knew that war was imminent. Even those that are so against the idea of war couldn't have felt as strongly after what they had witnessed, could they?
I guess I thought that it would be quick. Like the Gulf War - we go in, we get out. No such luck. Eight years later we are still waging war. Now I am faced with the fact that my son may be part of this war. It's something I try to keep out of my every day thinking, but it's there, nagging at me. What if? I just can't think about it.
The only justification I have is to remind myself what a sacrifice each and every one of these young men and women make when they join our military forces. A responsibility to each and every one of us to keep us safe, to keep us free and to keep something like this from happening again. Our kids are taking care of us. The roles have been reversed.
Today is a somber day of remembrance. A day for us to look around at all that we hold dear. In my opinion, we need to take this day and make sure that each and every person who means anything to us knows it.
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Incoming Call...
It was Sunday...phone was charged and ready to go. We went to the Cleveland National Air Show which was a whole experience in and of itself. However, it was Sunday and I had already missed a call from my soldier last week. It wasn't going to happen again.
Although the air show headliners are primarily Navy or Air Force planes, the Army still has a strong presence. We set out to find them. I've been searching for an "Army Mom" t-shirt or sweatshirt, but hadn't found anything I liked. We did see a long line of people standing under a goarmy.com canopy where they were making dog tags. I know why they do this. They want to get your information so that they can try to recruit you. However, both John and I are over the age of 41 - too old by Army standards, so when I got up there, I asked the nice PFC if he would be willing to put the name of my son on a set of dog tags for me. With a wink and a smile, he did. And I love it!!! How you could adore a simple piece of stamped metal with a beaded chain is beyond me, but I do. No t-shirts, though.
John, being the over-grown kid that he is took on the challenge of the rock wall at the next goarmy.com canopy. Of course, it was a girl that was challenging him, how could he say no? He wasn't going to be outdone by a girl!!! He held on to beat her to the top and he got a t-shirt with the "Soldier's Creed" printed on it. But no Army mom t-shirts...
We checked out the other booths, some of the static aircraft displays and then returned to our seats to watch the rest of the airshow. John is not one to just sit for hours, so he would go out on his little tours and then come back. After one such excursion, he returned with a khaki green t-shirt, upon which was written "Army Mom." I loved it!!! He found it at the USO booth, of all places!!! Now I can wear my "Army Mom" t-shirt and my Blaine Henry, U S Army dog tags!
Then it happened! My phone rang and luckily it wasn't while the Marine Harrier jet was taking off!!! I would never have heard it!
"Hi Mom! Where are you?" I told him I was at the airshow and asked in my own glib way, "why? where are you?" He laughed and responded "well, I'm at basic training!" He sounded like he was having the time of his life! He told me he loves it! Can you believe it? He loves it!!! He told me that the letters were great! He loves every one of them. He remembered me telling him that Val was in charge of our Facebook group and he took the time to write her a letter and give her the names of some of the guys who weren't getting letters from home. He is quite a young man...makes his mama proud, I tell ya!
I was all excited to hear from him and I told him all about my t-shirt that John had found for me. He told me that sounded nice, but he had a shirt for me with his picture on it! I can't wait to get that one!!!
He said he couldn't talk long. He was going to let his "battle buddy" use his phone to call his parents because he didn't bring his own phone along. What a guy! We texted a few times, got in our "I love you's" and now I just have to wait until next time.
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to write to Blaine. Not only does it mean a lot to him, it means a lot to me that you would take time out of your day to think of my son.
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Missed Call
Every Sunday, I keep my phone close at hand, usually in the evening because that's when Blaine has called either his dad or me in the past. The battery is always fully charged, since the last time he called his mom, her phone was dead! Well, yesterday morning, my phone was on silent and in another room while I was editing some photos on the computer. John was taking a nap and his phone was in another room...I AM SO MAD AT MYSELF!!! I haven't gotten to speak to Blaine but once and he tried to call me yesterday. TWICE! He tried John's phone, TWICE! and neither of us heard our phone!!!
A little later on in the day, my mom called to let me know that she had talked to Blaine. He told her that he was getting yelled at a lot and having to do a lot of push-ups but he said he was prepared for all of that. He also told her he really likes it there! LOL That's my kid!
He also told asked his grandma to ask me to slow down the letter writing campaign. It wasn't that he didn't like getting the letters, it's that he was feeling a little guilty because he gets so many letters and there a lot of guys that don't get any mail at all. I left a message on his phone (hopefully he will get it) and told him to get me their names and maybe we could divert some of his letters to them. Again, that's my kid!
I will make sure that from now on, I have my phone on and with me and charged every day! I just hope I get the chance to talk to him soon!
And a huge Thank You to everyone who has written to Blaine. I know he appreciates it! I appreciate you all keeping him in your hearts!
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
A little later on in the day, my mom called to let me know that she had talked to Blaine. He told her that he was getting yelled at a lot and having to do a lot of push-ups but he said he was prepared for all of that. He also told her he really likes it there! LOL That's my kid!
He also told asked his grandma to ask me to slow down the letter writing campaign. It wasn't that he didn't like getting the letters, it's that he was feeling a little guilty because he gets so many letters and there a lot of guys that don't get any mail at all. I left a message on his phone (hopefully he will get it) and told him to get me their names and maybe we could divert some of his letters to them. Again, that's my kid!
I will make sure that from now on, I have my phone on and with me and charged every day! I just hope I get the chance to talk to him soon!
And a huge Thank You to everyone who has written to Blaine. I know he appreciates it! I appreciate you all keeping him in your hearts!
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
Monday, August 17, 2009
My First Phone Call
He called me!!! He called me!!! Two and half weeks after I put my soldier on a plane, he finally called his mom!
We took our granddaughter to the zoo yesterday and I made sure I had my phone with me. I was really hoping, knowing it was Sunday, that today might be the day that he calls. The battery was about half, which should have been alright, however, on the way to the zoo, I got bombarded with text messages and it started eating up that battery. I was able to stop the messages and kept my phone close to me all day, but no call...
We arrived home around 8 pm, unloaded the car and got the baby settled in. We were watching TV, couldn't even tell you what was on, but all of the sudden John answers his phone and he looks up and says, "it's your son." I thought my heart was literally going to leap out of my chest! I was so excited, I grabbed the phone and told him I loved him. Before that moment, there were about 500 questions I wanted to ask, but right then, the only thing mattered was that I was actually talking to him. He said he mailed out his address and we should have it in about 3-4 days. I can't wait for that either!
He did say that he's been in reception this whole time. He was supposed to start basic on August 3, then August 10. Yesterday he said he was going to start today. I hope he does. It's just going to prolong things if not. He said they wouldn't be having a graduation from basic, however, I've come to find out from other sources that he will have some time to visit with family between basic and AIT and I'm hoping that I can go out for a couple of days to see him.
He said we'd have more information on graduation soon, but he thinks it will be somewhere around December 17...oh boy, is that ever a long way off!
In the meantime, I'm going to ride this wave of happiness, knowing that he's alright and he still loves me! Hopefully it will last long enough to get to the next phone call!
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
We took our granddaughter to the zoo yesterday and I made sure I had my phone with me. I was really hoping, knowing it was Sunday, that today might be the day that he calls. The battery was about half, which should have been alright, however, on the way to the zoo, I got bombarded with text messages and it started eating up that battery. I was able to stop the messages and kept my phone close to me all day, but no call...
We arrived home around 8 pm, unloaded the car and got the baby settled in. We were watching TV, couldn't even tell you what was on, but all of the sudden John answers his phone and he looks up and says, "it's your son." I thought my heart was literally going to leap out of my chest! I was so excited, I grabbed the phone and told him I loved him. Before that moment, there were about 500 questions I wanted to ask, but right then, the only thing mattered was that I was actually talking to him. He said he mailed out his address and we should have it in about 3-4 days. I can't wait for that either!
He did say that he's been in reception this whole time. He was supposed to start basic on August 3, then August 10. Yesterday he said he was going to start today. I hope he does. It's just going to prolong things if not. He said they wouldn't be having a graduation from basic, however, I've come to find out from other sources that he will have some time to visit with family between basic and AIT and I'm hoping that I can go out for a couple of days to see him.
He said we'd have more information on graduation soon, but he thinks it will be somewhere around December 17...oh boy, is that ever a long way off!
In the meantime, I'm going to ride this wave of happiness, knowing that he's alright and he still loves me! Hopefully it will last long enough to get to the next phone call!
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Ten Days
It has been ten days since I sent my son off to Uncle Sam's Army. Ten days without a text message, a phone call or a hug...he's called his dad again. He had told him he was supposed to start BCT (basic combat training) this past Monday, but now it's going to be next Monday. He said they would allow him to send home a card with his address within the first 3 days of BCT. I'm ready and waiting to send him the first of many cards.
I think about him every day. But today, I'm missing him a little more. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I don't have to work today so my mind isn't occupied with anything else. Maybe it's because I just read something written by a friend about being old and alone. Whatever the reason, I want to hear from him! He says to tell me that he just can't talk to me yet. What does that mean?! Another mom says it's because "we turn our boys to marshmallows." She said her son called and talked to his dad and not her at first.
Life goes on here as we enjoy what remains of our summer, people are getting their kids ready to go to school, ready to go to college. They get to go with them, check out their dorm room, help set things up. Their kids will be home on weekends or on break. They will call them or text them when they want to let them know what's going on, ask for money, share an anecdote from their day, even have an arguement. I hope that they appreciate every moment!
In the meantime, I'll just wait and hope that my soldier can finally call his mom because she really needs to hear from him.
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
I think about him every day. But today, I'm missing him a little more. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I don't have to work today so my mind isn't occupied with anything else. Maybe it's because I just read something written by a friend about being old and alone. Whatever the reason, I want to hear from him! He says to tell me that he just can't talk to me yet. What does that mean?! Another mom says it's because "we turn our boys to marshmallows." She said her son called and talked to his dad and not her at first.
Life goes on here as we enjoy what remains of our summer, people are getting their kids ready to go to school, ready to go to college. They get to go with them, check out their dorm room, help set things up. Their kids will be home on weekends or on break. They will call them or text them when they want to let them know what's going on, ask for money, share an anecdote from their day, even have an arguement. I hope that they appreciate every moment!
In the meantime, I'll just wait and hope that my soldier can finally call his mom because she really needs to hear from him.
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
No Contact
It has been three days now. Three days with no contact. I expected this. I knew this was the way it was going to be but you see, I'm used to my kids telling me everything. Whether I want to hear it or not! Blaine especially! I think Blaine likes to try to shock me. I think he sits around trying to come up with things to tell me that will make my already graying hair turn completely white! Well, so far, so good as most of you know. Of course, I can't blame him for all of my gray hair, he has an older sister, but that's a whole other blog...
I keep waiting for him to call me with some outrageous story....but the phone isn't ringing. Heck, right now I'd be happy to hear him tell me that the food is lousy and the bed is hard as a rock....but the phone isn't ringing. Being someone who usually keeps my phone close at hand, I've turned into someone glued to their phone. And when I don't have it in my pocket, I have the ringer turned up loud enough to compete with a roaring jet engine!
I hope that it will be soon, if even for just 5 minutes. It's nice to receive a text saying "I love you mom." But hearing it straight from their mouths is priceless...
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
I keep waiting for him to call me with some outrageous story....but the phone isn't ringing. Heck, right now I'd be happy to hear him tell me that the food is lousy and the bed is hard as a rock....but the phone isn't ringing. Being someone who usually keeps my phone close at hand, I've turned into someone glued to their phone. And when I don't have it in my pocket, I have the ringer turned up loud enough to compete with a roaring jet engine!
I hope that it will be soon, if even for just 5 minutes. It's nice to receive a text saying "I love you mom." But hearing it straight from their mouths is priceless...
Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?!
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