Why I Love Marines

I love Marines. I love the families of Marines. I love how once you are a Marine you are always a Marine. I love how Marines remember and share their history. I witnessed it growing up when men that served with my father would show up at important events in my life because my father could not. Like an unspoken oath to look after one another. I am so proud that I have had the honor to share my life with these men. Know that the truth is , "The only people that understand Marines are the Marines and the enemy." I feel privileged to have known some fantastic Marines. I was reminded of this today when I received an email from my husband telling me he received 6 care packages from someone in North Carolina and it was accompanied by this letter....


1stSgt Harting,

It is we who thank you and all the Marines of Legend 3/4 for answering the call and defending the freedoms we hold so dear. Know that your cause is respected and supported by those you defend, and please pass along our gratitude to all the Marines of the “Thundering Third”.

My father was a platoon commander with Lima Company 3/4 in Vietnam during Operation Hastings and went on to serve 31 years in our beloved Corps…I am certain he is looking down from his final resting place with admiration as you continue to create the history and legacy of that fine fighting establishment! As he once told me, “Keep your head down and your powder dry”.

Semper Fi,
David Richards


I was so moved by this, because I know that most of us in the military community feel like most of America is checked out on us. But to know we will take care of one another no matter what is what gets me through the day sometime.

Memorial Day---I Love You Dad

Every year on Memorial Day I have always made it a special point to talk about my father. My father who was killed in Vietnam when I was an infant. A father who I never met, and have no memory of. I almost feel like he belongs to someone or something else. When I was growing up every year on Memorial Day our family was always asked to participate in Memorial Day activities. It was always something we did and we were so proud. I honestly had never met another person that had lost anyone in a war. I was an oddity. We actually never talked about it and it really only came up around Memorial Day. I always had such a great sense of loss, not only for losing my father when I was an infant but for losing him is such a way that was so abstract to most kids my own age that no one really understood. So fast forward many years later and the current wars, Iraq and Afghanistan people started to pay attention, a whole new generation and a whole lot more people to remember. Now I didn't only have a father to remember on this day but friends, and sons of friends. And now there is no shortage of people who speak at and attend Memorial Day events. I wish it wasn't that way, but it is. So please take a moment this weekend and remember all those who sacrificed for us, who gave all. Its not a lot to ask, at least I don't think so. And Daddy, I have never stopped thinking about you, you were my first hero, and I know you are in good company.
I love you.

Early Wordless Wednesday

Hypnotizing. I think so.

NO IT IS NOT

I Know it is cute to say so, to have the sticker in jest...
but being the wife of a military man is not the toughest job in....
The Marine Corps....
The Navy.......
The Army......
The Air Force.....

Dreams....

I received this picture from my husband of one of the local children in his area of operation. He told me the kids there are so cool. Aren't kids everywhere for the most part? This started me thinking again on how hard it must be for our men fighting over there. During the day they interact with these wonderful children and at the same time fight the men that sometimes these children grow up to become, the Taliban. I can't imagine how these children view their world. I know they love the Marines, I know the Marines love them. I am thankful that my son doesn't experience this type of world. There is a huge difference between knowing your father is going to fight in a war and all that means then actually living in a war zone. I have lived in a lot of places, and I can tell you all people are the same. A quote I heard somewhere but can't recall from who was, "all men have a dream for their families" I know that is true, even in the villages of Afghanistan where the simple farmer raises his children, whatever it is this man has a dream for his children. I am comforted in knowing that after the harvest and before most of the fighting starts, the farmers leave with their families. It comforts me to look at this photo and know when the bad stuff starts hitting the fan this little boy will have hopefully been long gone. I hope someday these children can live in a place where roadside bombs are not part of their lives, where the fear of the Taliban doesn't stop a little girl from going to school. After ten years I wonder if these children will ever be born in too a better place. This young boy looks like maybe he is 5-6, and that means he has never known anything but war. Actually all of the children have known only the Taliban. I wish for a better life for all these children, of freedoms we know and liberties only they can imagine. Their life is a simple one, to live off the land, and provide a life for their children, probably the same simple life they have or maybe even a better one. I just hope the day comes when they will have a choice for themselves.

The military wife stereotype: Fact or fictional? - Richmond Military Marriage | Examiner.com

Good article worth the read.



The military wife stereotype: Fact or fictional? - Richmond Military Marriage | Examiner.com

Man, My Man is HOT!

I was lucky enough to get some pics of my hubs from the front. I am only going to share this one because of OPSEC and stuff like that , not sure what types of landmarks in the others could give away his location...a lot of people don't think about that but it has been drilled in my so many times. Yes the tree line could be identified and pin point your Marines exact location. I think this one is pretty generic, so I thought I would share. I love this man, I miss this man and all I am focused on is his homecoming and getting to do all the things we like to do. I still do all those things since life doesn't just stop when our men are gone but it's never really as much fun when he isn't there. I love you babe, hurry home!

Wordless Wednesday

Knee Surgery

High everyone!! What not high? Well I am! Tee hee hee. And it's the best kind, the legal kind. Today I had knee surgery for a Meniscus repair, or ectomy..not sure what the doc did because I wasn't able to speak to the doc but he will be calling soon. Anyhow the above picture is what my knee would look like, if it wasn't covered with tons of ace bandages and padding, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what it looked like before it was all bandaged up.so there is the pic, not mine but had I had a pic. So not bad, a bit swollen and I am off it for 3 days for the most part but it's really not that bad. What it is, is a new start to get myself back in shape so I can again, run, workout and just get around without pain. I have been living with this since the day after Thanksgiving last year. I am ready to get it over already.
I also find myself surrounded by some amazing women. I had my surgery in Palm Springs about an hour and a half from base. When I got there with my son (who is really taking care of me so wonderfully) one of the ladies stopped by to see me, just to make sure I was good. Since I have been home I have had 2 complete dinners delivered to me, flowers and texts from other ladies that have the rest of the week covered. Nothing makes the heart swell more then seeing people want to help you out for no other reason other then they just want too. I have found this group of women some of the most fantastic in our 17 years in the Corps as a whole. We have just banded together to get through what we know will be a rough Spring and Summer.
My son is also a huge help and has already won over all the ladies, they see now why he is so special to me. Not only because he is my son but because he is just a wonderful human being.
Still no word from my hubs which kind of bothers me, not for any other reason then I know wherever he is he is worrying about my day, hoping everything went well with my surgery and I hate that I know he is doing everything he can to call and he just may not be able too.
Well here is to the start of me getting back on track with my knee pain free!!

Love

Sometimes life gives you exactly what you need. Exactly when you need it. I love you babe and miss you too.

5 Weeks

The Poppy is beautiful...



Hubs hooch



Hubs and his CO's racks...



My hubs loves the village kids, look at that face. Who could blame him?



My hubs is tall, as you can see it really makes the living quarters tight for our big American guys...


So happy for the passage of days but even more for the passage of WEEKS! Things are going along well. Picked up the kiddo from college this week, so glad to have him home for the summer. Something very comforting about having your kid (no matter how old they get) under your roof. My hubs ability to communicate with home base has been sporadic. Apparently MCCS has what I call an "Ice Cream Truck"..it is actually a mobile Exchange with Wi-Fi and when the Marines see it coming they run to it like an Ice Cream truck. I was actually able to skype with my husband for a little bit ... the truck was only there for the day but it was an awesome surprise to see him and see he is ok. He was able to send some photos which I will share, nothing to give anything away, just the general scenery and living conditions. His guys are doing ok. Any good thoughts to send their way would be appreciated. I have to say I like to think of my hubs being on a tropical vacation ... it makes my days go by much easier and less stress induced insomnia.
But this brings me to another thought, sharing information. A few days ago I get a call from one of our wives about an incident she heard about with our Marines concerning wounded and contact with the enemy. She was very upset, and told me another wife had called her telling her all this stuff was happening and I would have bet a weeks pay that the wife was lying, making things up. I of course knew this because I had just talked to my hubs and he looked relaxed, sounded very good and no signs of anything like this happening as of yet, I mean we are expecting it but it hadn't happened yet. So like I always do I draft an email to my hubs and tell him about this craziness his Marines are reporting to their wives. Well low and behold I was replied to by a very upset husband explaining to me that this information doesn't serve any purpose other then to upset us back home and he had explained this to his Marines and the fact that this information is being relayed to the homefront in his words, "is pissing me off". So now I am left in the position to talk to this young wife and explain to her that she shouldn't be sharing this information with the other wives. This is her first deployment and she views deployment through the eyes of a novel, very romantic and starry eyed. Not realistic at all and she is sharing information that other wives do not necessarily want to hear. Ugh, I am sure her husband will not be sharing much information after the tone of my hubs last email. I have spent a lot of time with a lot of the young wives, and new wives and I have to say, I am concerned with their views on deployment and the repercussions of their actions. Have you come across any of this in your encounters during deployment? I realize in the infantry our population is very young, most of the wives are very young and facing first deployments. How have you approached the wife that feels it is her duty to report on all the happenings her husband tells her? How does it make you feel?

Mothers Day

My son definitely has his fathers sense if humor. Which I love by the way. This was my first mothers day away from both my husband (deployed) and son (college). But I did receive this great little gem in the mail Friday. I just love it and so proud my son thought far enough ahead to get it for me. Love you son. Your the best.

Thank You...Pass it Around

Wordless Wednesday--Lima Company

So proud. Taken from the Marine Times Battle Rattle Blog..no OPSEC violation.

I Should Be Happier..But

So I have been listening now for 2 days of all the excitement about Usama Bin Laden. Funny thing is this, I always hear the news first, I am plugged in too everything. Iphone, Laptop, TV, Ipad...everything. But that day I was not. I went to a movie and dinner with some friends, friends that are sharing this deployment with me. We had a great time, went to see Fast 5..great movie and distraction, had a nice dinner. Too much talking in the car to listen to the radio..end of night. We come to the base, and right away we see something is different. Elevated force protection..me being me leans my head over from the driver side as I am presenting my ID card and I say, "Hey what's going on? Why the extra security tonight?" and to that the very young Marine at the gate strapping his M-4 with a death grip says, "Oh we have been invaded by Mexico"..ok smart guy..but whatever we laugh it off and he nicely says, "well Ma'am (I know ugh) there is a lot of chatter right now so we are looking out" so knowing what chatter means, I say "well thank you" and we go on our way. So as we are pulling in to get in our cars to go home all of our phones start ringing with the news and people are coming out of their homes and we get the news. Simultaneously we all look at one another and we know what the other is thinking, "What does this mean for our husbands?" Our husbands are currently in one of the most not so nice areas of Afghanistan, without saying where lets just say...this is not the time we want to hear they have just Martyred Usama Bin Laden. So we all talked for a bit, we decided it is just a thing, nothing to worry about knowing our men already had a tough mission so this was just another obstacle they may or may not have to face. But the whole night and up until this moment it has left me very uneasy. I am happy he is gone, I am happy that all his victims, from the Embassy bombings, the Cole and all the other horrible acts this man ordered have justice, or at least the figure head of this is gone. My wish was that he be captured alive, and he be paraded in front of the world media and exposed as the frail little man he was, to take away the myth of this all powerful Oz. But that wasn't the case, and I wouldn't have wanted that if it meant even one more of our brave troops was put in harms way.
But I have to tell you, this happening when our men are still in the fight makes it hard to be overly excited. I haven't spoke to my husband but I have a feeling that he celebrated at the news, that he felt a victory for all they have done in the last 10 years that led to that, and I am reminded of what he always says,
"Babe, the Taliban do not need a reason to kill us, given the chance that is what they are going to do."
Please keep our service members still in the fight in your thoughts , know that their mission is not over.