I loved family day at the base and I got to go see what daddy did when he was at work
When we would pick up dad after he was deployed on a trip I would yell "DADDY" every time someone in uniform would walk past the car (I was obviously VERY Young)
Sitting in Mrs. Custer's Fundamentals of Physics and Chemistry class beside Heather and Jake and Matt and Zach were behind us the classroom TV turned on automatically. It really was like the world stopped turning... Matt and Zach didn't try to steal the notes out of Heather and my back pockets Mrs. Custer was sitting up front looking confused because the class was actually behaving for once (she couldn't see or hear that the TV was on she was one of "those" teachers). The teachers didn't teach that day, no one threw pickles on the windows in the cafeteria, we went through our normal schedule going from class to class, then sat down and watched the news. There were no announcements made I suppose it was all understood.
On the walk home we didn't go through all the notes we had written for each other and talk about how cute Jeremy's butt looked in his "south pole" jeans or why Jon and I were broke up again we just walked. It seems weird now but then, we didn't know what to say. We went to Lindsey's house like we did everyday hoping to see TRL to gain that normalcy we were looking for, even with MTV there was no relief for the next 48 hours watching the same clips over and over again. When we signed on the Internet there were pictures of it everywhere you clicked.
Dad didn't come home that night, the base was on lock down for safety and mission requirements, he came home the next evening. We refueled the fighter jets that flew up and down the coast. (well ok we still do)
I can't say I was scared, I can't say I was awestruck, it was more of a numbness when you can't feel anything you just watch hoping that it was somewhere else hoping that it was fake that it didn't really happen. But, it did and it sunk in in the passing weeks.
I didn't join the military because of the 9/11 attacks it was just something that was on my path. That feeling of this is where I'm supposed to be. I enjoyed basic training as weird as it sounds. I need someone else to push me, I need someone to tell me I can't do something so I can prove them wrong and when I do you better take note.
August 7, 2004 was when I made my oath of enlistment. June 28, 2005 was when I left for basic training. August 12, I graduated basic training, October 19, 2005 I left Texas after finishing Tech school. November 28, 2008 I was deployed to Guam. December 31, 2008 I came home from Guam.
I look at that and say that's it! That's all I've done...
I have so much left to do!
My family and I at my dad's retirement breakfast!I've never felt I needed to write about that day since the night of 9/11/2001 until now, everything in between seems so cloudy compared to the memories of that day.
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