If I'm not pressured to blog, I tend not to, so sorry I've been neglecting you.
Today I did something really cool, but it needs a back story. Last Thanksgiving, my Dad joined what he calls a Biker gang. It's not a gang its the American Legion Military Veterans Motorcycle club. Because they are veterans organization, they are told about things that non-veterans don't know about, like when the planes are landing in the old Air Force base near my house. These planes contain men and women either going to or coming home from the wars in the Middle East.
I mentioned in my last post that a man (I guess, weird) that I went to school with, that I've known since I was seven recently came home, and that I have one friend (well, the husband of my mom's best friend's daughter) is currently in basic in Alaska, he'll be going over in April.
Today I got to see a group of men off to their deployment. The old Air Force base in Southern New Hampshire is a refueling stop for many flights heading overseas so we, the greeters have the change to say "Thank You and good luck" to the people leaving, and "Welcome Home" to those coming back.
The base here and one in Bangor ME are the only ones that welcome soldiers home, and say good bye to them. I personally, I think that's wrong. Shouldn't every airport these people who are fighting for us have someone say "Hey welcome home" no matter where they are? This isn't 1968.
Anyway, It was weird, emotional, really emotional. Shaking their hands and saying thank you for what they'll be doing for us. I guess because it's everything I never got to say to the kid from my class before he left, or when I saw him in the store.
I hope I get to do it again.
AND THAT IS THE END OF THE STORY
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Not to be contrary, but at the Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, they welcome the troops back. I don't know about leaving, though. I think it's a more individual 'at the base' thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know EXACTLY how you feel. Its very VERY emotional to see the troops off and welcome them back... watching my dad go to Iraq and being able to welcome him home were probably the most emotionally intense things I have EVER done.
P.S. You're awesome. ^_^
That is so nice that you do that! I don't always agree with why our troops are out doing what they are doing, but I think they should always have people to welcome them home and to send them off.
ReplyDeleteMost bases I've heard of have some sort of ceremony for the troops who are leaving and those coming back. Those are usually just for friends and family, though, so if a certain troop doesn't have any friends or family in the area then they're kind of out of luck. We couldn't be there when my dad left for and came back from Kuwait (we had moved to our retirement destination a year early so that I could do all four years of high school in one place), so it would have been nice to know that someone was there picking up our slack... We did call him, though...
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