Homecoming!

We had another Homecoming tonight. Sgt. H. He's a married soldier and his sweet wife was so excited and anxious! Enjoy the pictures!

 

The Excited, but oh so anxious wife "D" waiting for her husband to arrive! (She's the one in the dress holding the flowers for her honey!) **Jacob in the row behind, getting tired!

 

 

Col. "G" welcoming home our Brave Soldier! (He only did a welcome speech of maybe 1 minute or less, but during that time the wife (who's hair is on the left) her whole body was starting to shake!!!)

 

Hugging for the first time!!

 

 

And the kiss! :*)

 

Sgt.H was the only soldier to come home tonight. He's a computer specialist (not quite sure the name of his job) but he's going to be getting all the computer's ready for the main body's return home! It was a very sweet homecoming, they had been married only a short time before he deployed! We were told to be at the building by 7:15....by 7:30 we were told that the driver had told the Sgt. that was here with us wrong and that when he was asked if he had gotten off the autobahn and he said yes, he meant to say that he'd gotten off of one autobahn and onto another one (the one that exits into our little city!), so we had about a 30 minute extra wait. His sweet wife was so excited and nervous when we thought he was due anytime (at 7:15) by the time he finally got there I think she was just a basket full of nerves! There was a nice turnout of supporters and for a group of less than 50 we were loud!!! Jackson even got in on the clapping tonight, which was a change from Sunday's home coming! We know we have at least one homecoming next week for one of our soldiers. Next week another Unit that left days before our guys left is coming home (which is exciting because we're such a small post, you  know about everyone and we know a lot of spouses who are so excited!!! The following week the other large unit who left 2 days before us is coming home, and then after that it'll be our guys!!!!!!) It's getting exciting!

 

They're home!

The welcome home ceremony went great! Remember we're in Germany and at the min. 6 hrs ahead of you in the states and up to 9 hrs on the West coast. The ceremony was over by 6 pm our time. It was wonderful! There was a good amount of us wives who are still waiting for our husband's to return there to show support! Once our Col. got to the building the soldiers were outside the doors waiting to come in! We all cheered for them as loud as we could! The wives and girlfriends and special friends of the returning 4 soldiers were in the front row. One of the soldiers has twin little boys just over a yr old. Another soldier was married, the other two single. To watch those sweet little boys hug their daddy, just I think made us all cry! It's a beautiful thing to watch a home coming and if you're ever privy to experience one I highly suggest it! It's an emotional event, and well worth it.

Afterwards the boys and I talked about how close we are to Daddy coming home and that starting tomorrow we will be marking on a calender the days off until Daddy comes home. We don't know the exact date of when he'll be home, and Jacob at least understands that. It is getting a little exciting we are down to the point that we're looking at just a few small weeks! Oh I can't believe we're almost done this time around!

Sadly I was not able to take any pictures, because I left the camera in the van (thought I tossed it in my purse and didn't. :( Sorry about that. I'm hoping I can get some and if I do I will post them!

God Bless

Excited!

I only have a few minutes, but wanted to share we have 5 soldiers coming in today! In about 20 minutes we're to be at the Welcome Home Ceremony for the soldiers!! Not my honey, but that's ok because these guys worked hard and bravely for 12 months!

Ok, I'm off. I'm going to take my camera and if I get any good shots I'll post them!

 

For those who read the other journal, you'll see this idental message! :)

The Countdown Begins!

We got the official email, no more mail sent from us in Germany to Iraq after Sept 21!!! We're getting down to the nitty gritty people! If we were to mail something to them after the 21st there's a very good chance it will not get to our soldiers in time!!!! This is definately one of those exciting "don'ts" you get told! :)

We're down to single digit weeks! I have been going over all that I want and need to do in the next few weeks to prepare for Chad's homecoming! Tomorrow I'm going to the bookstore here on post and buying some WelcomeHome Balloons, before they're all sold out (then on the day of his arrival I can take them back up or to the flower shop and have them blown up). I need to get poster board and make posters. I'm going to make them for the doors in our building, as well as up our stairwell and for our front door! I am going to be ordering his Welcome Home Sign here in a few minutes!

We're not done yet, but we are getting closer!

Memorial

The memorial service for Spc. Harley Andrews was at 11:00 this morning. His beautiful wife was there, along with her mom and brother. We all filed in after they did and sat down the service started. It's rather frightening that the words coming out of our Rear D Captain's mouth is becoming familiar, as he starts the service the same way the last 2 were started. I couldn't help from looking at this fallen hero's wife. She's so young. You just really don't understand. She couldn't be more than 22 yrs old if that. They have a 14 month old son, Ayden. She sat there weaping, and how do you not cry when you see someone's heart literally breaking right in front of you? Well I couldn't hold the tears back.

In April, Spc Andrews had written in the Battalion Newsletter. He described how his job of finding IED's were keeping other soldiers safe, and how he was proud of what he was doing, because he was preventing soldiers from getting injured or dying and that he was saving families from heartache. He was killed by an IED.

After the service we gave our condolences to his wife, and then someone went and got precious Ayden from the nursery. You don't know how beautiful this little boy is, or how heart breaking it is to me that this precious little boy will NEVER get to know his Daddy. It just isn't right. He toddled around without a care in the world, as literally everyone doted on him. He was probably hugged and kissed more times than he had been his entire life. He also got to eat German pastries, which he REALLY, REALLY liked and was not happy if when he was done with one, he wasn't handed another immediately. At one point, he was walking around with the little handout they give you, it had his Daddy's handsome face on the front and he was walking around pointing at his Daddy saying "Dada" then kissing it and then hitting himself in the face with it. He was completely oblivious to the heartache and life changes surrounding him.

It's very humbling to experience what we have experienced 3 times since July. Today was by far the hardest memorial service to attend, because this Brave soldier's wife was there. She's the first one who was at a memorial service. The last one we had only one soldier's wife was in the area, but she's a German national and she was/is ANGRY at the US Army. I can't say I blame her, but it does make me sad that she wasn't able to see that we do care and ache for her.

I did not know Spc. Andrews or his wife. Haley Andrew's is living I think every deployed spouses worst nightmare and greatest fear. We have 6 weeks left aprox. and this happened. I ask that you all pray for this young wife and mother. That she feels GOD's hand covering her every single day and that although there will no doubt be horrible days, that eventually she'll start finding reasons to smile again, that the thought of her husband will bring tears of joy over sadness, eventually.

I think the quiet echo of words that came from all of us other spouses was "just let us get through the next 6 weeks with nothing else happening and get them home". Our soldiers are the absolute best. They have found MORE IEDS than ANY OTHER UNIT through out this war! That is truly amazing and something to be proud of. Now though it's time to just come home, get out of Iraq safely and back into our arms.

I also found out that one of the soldiers who died in July, his family is planning on coming over here when our soldiers return. I can not imagine the heart ache. I have no doubt they NEED to do this FOR THEM. I ask that you pray for the Lidell family. I don't believe that we ever have "closure". I honestly can't stand that word when it comes to grief. We have a right to be sad, angry, etc. There is absolutely NO TIME LINE for grief, yet so many seem to think there is or should be. Of course most of them have never lost a loved one unexpectantly or just simply too soon.

I'm proud of my soldier. I love him more than I can possibly explain and I honestly don't ever want to know the pain the wives who've lost their husband's in this war have. I am ready for Chad to be back home, safe, sound, and where he belongs.

 

Soldier Died....4 injured

Sept. 11 marked more death. In our unit we lost a young soldier, young husband, and daddy. His memorial serivce here will be on Thursday. I know his wife is here, but not sure when she'll be heading back to the states, so no clue if she'll be there on Thursday.

We also had 4 soldiers injured. Two were fairly seriously injured and are heading here to Germany to be treated. The other two were not too bad and will be returning to work soon.

Please keep this young family in your prayers, as well as their extended family and their friends. We're just so close to the end, so close.

Have You Forgotten?

Artist/Band: Worley Darryl
Lyrics for Song: Have You Forgotten?
Lyrics for Album: Have You Forgotten?

I hear people saying we don't need this war
I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
After 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?

 

Just to Clarify

If any of you do not believe that I'm an Army wife, that our unit is about to come home from Iraq, or just simply think I'm a thief out to steal your money, please feel free to email me and I will HAPPILY give any and everyone the Battalion's Phone Number for your to verify who I am, what I and the other ladies in our BN are trying to do for our Single Soldiers. Just remember we are stationed in Germany, so it will be an oversea's phone call, which I'm sure makes people nervous as well. I also have a website for our unit if that helps.

 

I don't know how else to prove I am who I am and that our unit is really deployed and that our soldiers really are coming home  soon!

 

I also want to intergrate that I am NOT asking anyone to send money or items. I just thought this would be a great opportunity to help single soldiers. A lot of people claim to support our troops, but they never do anything, this was just an opportunity for those who are COMFORTABLE sending what ever THEY LIKE (sheets, pillows, hygiene items, and snacks), this is not a pressure tactic....it's just an outreach.