Knee Deep in the Hooah!

Mr.Hooah here again. I was reading through my favorite blogs this past holiday weekend when I came across this on “Kaboom“:

Sunday, 6 July 2008
Important Name Change

I had hoped to break this news sooner, but it seems certain readers have spoiled the surprise in their comments. LT G is no longer a lieutenant. On July 1, he was promoted to the rank of captain. Yes, despite the drama with the blog and his turning down the XO position, LT G is now CPT G. I suppose his pseudonym is sort of useless now, huh?
 

Some of you may remember LT G’s great blog as well as its untimely demise. This new blog was started by his fiancee. [Read more →]

Tags: Army, Iraq, Mr. Hooah! Writes, communication, family life, military, well wishes by Mr_Hooah
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Remember a while back when I wrote an entry called “finite familiarity?” I wrote about the incredible connections that have been made for us through this blog and through the process of Bryan’s joining the military when he did.

Today there are even more connections, and one that I did not mention in my first post.

This past week I found out that two of my friends (one I met through Bryan’s joining and the other through this blog) are now neighbors. It was unplanned, and amazing that they wound up in the same neighborhood and found each other. Serendipity abounds. It was a very incredible connection, and I was shocked when I got the call — shocked, surprised, but then not stumped.

The other connection I did not mention in the last entry is the fact that we are distant relatives with a certain, wonderful blogger and commenter. I’ll let her be the decision maker as to whether or not she wants to own us publicly as her own. We are not sure yet what the familial connection is, but we know it’s there. My mother in law does genealogy and was able to establish that there is a connection for sure. Technically this person is related to Mr. Hooah! through kinship and me through marriage. It’s not too shocking since the two of them think alike.

I do have to admit that more than once I would have swore that Piper is Mr. Hooah!’s long, lost sister. There have been times where I had to look twice at the name on her comments, because it echoes almost exactly what he has, or would have, said.

The pieces of this small puzzle, that seems so hugely beyond us, come together without the manipulation of our hands. It’s good that the hands that do the fitting can see the larger picture.

Tags: Army Wife Posts, Shack Pack news, family life, updates, well wishes by Claire
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The State of Tennessee has declared March 29 “Vietnam Veterans Day” and this weekend was the first celebration of our new State holiday. I was not able to attend any of the festivities happening in Crossville (where the first celebration was sponsored) due to a sick toddler and a very busy family schedule, but from what I have read it sounds like it was celebrated well.

While watching the local news this morning I saw parades, confetti, flags, bands, and the “welcome home” celebration that these Veteran’s did not get when they came home from the Vietnam War. A reporter asked one of the young children in attendance if she knew why she was there, and the child said “When the Veterans came home they were treated badly, so we are treating them the right way now!” The statement was poignant and right on track.

Continue reading below to hear how one Veteran fought for this day, and now other states are taking up the challenge to declare March 29 as their own day to celebrate our Vietnam Veterans. The following news excerpts are taken from the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

After suffering through name-calling in the early 1970s, and then the years of denial that followed, Roger Rahor finally is ready to own up to his Vietnam veteran status with pride.

The Signal Mountain resident plans to march as a veteran for the first time on Saturday, which marks a first for Tennessee and the nation: the first official Vietnam Veterans Day.

…

“When we came home, not only did we not get a welcome, but we were mistreated,” said Mr. Dunham, who recalls being called a “baby killer” upon his return from the combat zone. “A lot of veterans couldn’t get past it.”

So Mr. Dunham, who was deployed with the Coast Guard, has been working since February 2007 to petition for the new holiday. He got his wish in May 2007, when Gov. Phil Bredesen signed a proclamation declaring March 29, 2008 — exactly 35 years after the country’s last 2,500 troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam — Vietnam Veterans Day.

The proclamation was the first of its kind in the nation, said Mr. Dunham, adding that since then it has spurred a national movement as efforts have been launched in 26 other states to enact similar measures.

…

“It’s through their service that we are reminded once more that to each generation falls the duty of spreading liberty, of protecting democracy and of safeguarding our security,” the governor said during a Veterans Day ceremony last November.

The Proclamation that Governor Bredesen signed to acknowledge the day officially is worded as follows:

WHEREAS, thirty five years ago, on March 29, 1973, the last 2,500 troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam thus ending military involvement in what is now the longest war in our country’s history, and

WHEREAS, it is important and appropriate to honor the men and women who survived and the 58,195 brave souls who fought and died, were never given the respect and gratitude they deserved for serving their country, and

WHEREAS, 1,293 of the names listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall are from the Great State of Tennessee, let us honor their memory and thank them for their unselfish devotion to duty.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Phil Bredesen, Governor of the state Tennessee, do hereby proclaim March 29, 2008 as

VIETNAM VETERANS DAY
in Tennessee and encourage all citizens to join me in this worthy observance.

…

Mr. Dunham said he expects from 50,000 to 100,000 veterans to attend, more than 600 of them from the Chattanooga area. Some will travel from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii, and one from Australia, he said.

…

Charlie Hobbs, president of the Chattanooga chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America — the largest chapter in Tennessee and third largest in the country — is leading a bus and four trailers to the event. Chapter members plan to set up their Tennessee Vietnam Memorial Wall, which pays tribute to the 1,291 Tennesseans killed in action in Vietnam.

“We’ve got a bond that won’t ever be broken,” Mr. Hobbs said. “Our founding principle is that never again will a generation of veterans abandon another.”

…

“This is going to be the most patriotic thing Tennessee has ever seen,” he said.

Believe me, Tennessee has a bend toward being pretty patriotic as it is, but I can only imagine how beautiful it must have been to see these Veterans, our sons and daughters, finally given the welcome home they deserved 35-years ago. Our Vietnam Veterans fought hard, lost many and came home to face the same! They did not come home and rest, they came home, fought hard and have lost many to the home front battle. I pray that as a Nation we will never allow another Veteran’s mistreatment to go unchallenged. We should always remember Coolidge’s words, that “A Nation which forgets its Defenders will itself be forgotten.”

There are currently other states on board. Here is a list I found on TN City Data page… is your state listed? If not, find out why! This list was posted in December of last year:

The following states are now in the process of going for proclamations making March 29th Vietnam Veterans Day.
Tennessee (the first to celebrate)
Alaska
Arkansas
Arizona
Connecticut
Georgia
Iowa
Indiana
Minnesota
Missouri
Mississippi
Montana
North Carolina
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
Texas
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Tags: American Flag, Army, Army Mom Posts, Army Wife Posts, Morale, Troop appreciation, combat, communication, deployment, history, holidays, memorial, military, politics, veterans, well wishes by Claire
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Emma and I often have some of our most enlightening conversations while we are in the car. She has a pretty good set up. I drive her around, and in turn she bosses me around. It’s usually quite funny to me because here’s this little wisp of a girl, strapped snugly into her car seat, telling me that I should “go mommy!” when the light is red. Our conversations are usually full of girlish silliness, which my daughter is very prone to. Sometimes our talks are of what she wants, what she would like to eat for lunch, or what she did at dance class or gymnastics. The other day our conversation took a turn that I was not expecting.

We talk about Michael everyday. He is a part of our family and I have always made it a point to mention him to Emma on daily basis. I did the same for Bryan when he was gone from her for so long. We talked about “papa” like he was home with us. “What would papa want to eat for lunch, Emma?”, and questions like that, often came up in discussions. Emma knows Mike is in Iraq. She told me one time, not too long ago, that “Mike is in a rack!” I tried to help her understand that he was not in a rack, but rather he is in Iraq. “Oh never mind!” I thought to myself, “If the girl wants to believe that her oldest brother is somewhere sitting on a rack then why would I try and educate her about a war zone?” I don’t know what kind of rack she had in mind exactly, but with her limited knowledge I can only imagine she meant a towel rack, a dish rack, or a coat rack.

Then about two weeks ago we were driving to Bryan’s work, and Emma spotted a horse out in a meadow as we drove by. “Mama! I see a horsey!” She was so excited and I asked her what color it was, and it morphed from being a brown horse, to being a brown horse with red and pink hair (a punk rock horse I am to assume). Somehow this talk of horses then morphed into a talk of modes of transportation. This was not a connection I was expecting her to make. She is not old enough, in my mind anyway, to understand that a horse and an airplane are similar in that they are vehicles we use to get from one place to another. So, Emma pipes up and loudly proclaims “Mama, I am going to fly on the airplane!” To which I reply “Oh really now?! And who is going to fly with you?” Emma reassured me that her papa was going to take her onto the airplane. “Oh really? So, you and papa are going on the airplane? And just where are you and papa going, little girl?”

“Mama! Papa is going to fly with me to Iraq and we will get our Michael.” she squealed loudly!

I am glad I had my sunglasses on. How did she come to know and understand that Iraq is a place? How I pray that she will not have to know much more than that, for a very, very long time. How I pray for the day when she can see her Michael walking down that long ramp and into the arms of his anticipating family.

Tags: Army Mom Posts, Army Wife Posts, Shack Pack news, Things I love, deployment, family life, military, redeployment, reunification, veterans, war on terror, well wishes by Claire
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I have been amazed more than once since starting this blog and starting our journey into military life at some of the incredible meetings we have had with others. I am not someone who believes in coincidences, so I can only accept these meetings and circumstances as blessings just waiting to be had.

I mentioned once before on this blog that a reader and I began exchanging emails back in August of last year (I believe that’s when we first said “hi” to one another). We were both very OPSEC rigid at the start, and so neither of us were willing to give much information to the other about our particular soldier. The only thing we both knew was we each had a soldier in Iraq and they both served in a Stryker Brigade. That only narrowed it down to a degree.

Over time we began sharing just a tad more information, like first names. Then we finally got confirmation one day, me on my end and her on her’s … we found out through our soldiers that only were they at the same FOB, but they know one another! I think we both were taken back. What were the odds that the two of us would meet through this blog and find out that our guys know one another!? I have never mentioned publicly any of Mike’s Division info, Company info or any detailed information. It was not a coincidence at all. This person has been a very good friend to me, and has been able to support me through some tough times since she knows the more detailed happenings that our guys have gone through, such as the losses they have shared.

I have also corresponded with another reader whose husband had a very similar fracture to Mr. Hooah!’s and had just finished OCS. We joke that the two of them were probably hobbling past one another in the same hospital as they were recovering from their injuries. It would take pages for me to explain all of the uncanny parallels that this new found friend and I share. Similar backgrounds professionally, other similarities between our husbands, and much more. No doubt that she is, indeed, another blessing. I have a few other stories similar to those two that I could share, but there is another story that is too incredible to pass up.

When Mr. Hooah! joined the military there was a write up in our local paper. Someone who heard our story contacted someone she knew at the local paper. Originally there was to be a female reporter who would come to our house for the interview and she would write the story up. A day or two before the interview, she called to let me know that a gentleman from the paper would be coming out in her place. She reassured me that he would be the best reporter for the story since he had a lot more experience writing up military related stories. We were fine with that. Ultimately our goal was for the paper to tell our story in hopes that others who were interested in joining at an older age would realize they could do it! We also wanted the community to know what a good job our local recruiters do with new recruits.

The reporter and the recruiter showed up the morning of the interview. It all went well and the write up was nice. So, it sounds like that is the end of the story, right? Keep reading.

I joined the YMCA the very week that Bryan left for boot camp. I did this to help me deal with the stress of both guys’ deployments and to get myself back to a reasonable state of health. For a long time I didn’t “know” many of the other people who worked out at the Y, but there were many familiar faces — they were the regulars, like me, who come on a regular basis. Over time I started to get to know more people, and several of the moms from my MOPS group began surfacing too. Then one day I saw the reporter who interviewed us at the Y. When I saw him there it jogged my memory that the recruiter had called me and asked if I would be willing to talk with this reporter and his wife if they had any questions. He had decided to possibly pursue an OCS commission.

When I saw Cliff (the reporter) I asked him how he and his wife were doing and told him that if they ever wanted to talk with me they were welcome to call anytime. I didn’t realize then that they have two very sweet girls who had been playing with my Emma this whole time.

Fast forward to the broken hip insanity and Bryan coming home. One day we were at the Y together and we see Cliff. Bryan gives him our phone number and email address. Cliff mentions the next time we see him that he had talked with his wife, Kristen, and they wanted to know if we would like to come to supper one night. We accepted the invitation and had a very delightful night and we knew right away we had made some quality friends. Emma had such a wonderful time that she thanked Cliff and Kristen for the “wonderful party!” She now refers to their girls as “my pretty girls!” She adores them both.

Guess what? Cliff left for Ft. Benning last week, and he starts OCS soon. He is prior service as a Marine, and Kristen is here for now. She is doing a great job holding down the fort, planning those moves, selling the house, and watching all of the pieces of the puzzle graciously fall into place as her faith deepens. It’s a wonderful thing to witness, and they are a wonderful family to pray for.

It was no coincidence that Bryan joined when he did and that the first reporter could not keep her appointment with us. It is no coincidence that Kristen’s smile was already familiar to me, as I had seen it before at the Y, and Emma knew the girls. It was no coincidence that a reader of this blog wrote to me about her Stryker soldier and became a much needed friend — only for us to find out that our soldiers are friends too while in Iraq together. It’s no coincidence that I wrote a summation of our year at the same time that another Officer’s wife read my blog and heard that my husband and her husband had more in common than attend OCS at Benning. It is all too uncanny for me to accept as mere circumstances. Blessings are a much better word to describe them, for sure.

When you ponder the world it can be very overwhelming to contemplate its size and the number of people who inhabit it. The world seems infinitely huge. Within it is contained moments of finite familiarity when a stranger really does wind up being a long lost friend or relative, and when a scary and unfamiliar place suddenly feels like home.

Congratulations Cliff and Kristen! God speed to you both, and Hooah!

Tags: Army, Army Mom Posts, Army Wife Posts, Morale, Shack Pack news, communication, deployment, faith, family life, military, prayers, updates, well wishes by Claire
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I hope that everyone has a most blessed and restful Sunday and a wonderful Easter. I thought I would leave you all with a couple of chuckles tonight.

First, one of my all time favorite Easter cartoons:

And, if you have a moment, please help me caption the following picture. I can’t decide if these bunnies are in a get away car or on a road trip… you probably have some even better ideas… Caption it, please:

(Caption This!)

Here’s my lame attempt:

“Little did Marge and Mavis know that they had unwittingly hopped
into a car with none other than the notorious bank robber Bugsy Malone!”

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family. Rest and God bless. I will “see” you all on Monday.

Tags: family life, holidays, well wishes by Claire
5 Comments »

I have one! Brat sent out a notice that she had “big news” for us over at Tanker Brothers, and boy did she! The second Tanker Brother is home and on American Soil! Please take a moment and head over to TB to wish Master Gunner a happy return home, and a wonderful time of reuniting with his loved ones!

Thank you Brat for letting us know. There are fewer things sweeter to my ears these days than the news of our brave military members having their feet back on American soil!

Tags: deployment, military, well wishes by Claire
3 Comments »

I borrowed the Disney movie “Pollyanna” from our Church’s library. As a young girl it was my favorite movie. I just loved the precocious and whimsical nature of the main character, as well as her infectiously cheerful disposition. I wanted Emma to see it, and at first she was not too interested… there are no princesses, no animation and no slap stick comedy. After the second time of putting it on the movie caught her eye, and now she seems to love it too.

The term “Pollyanna” has become the label of choice for a person who is a “do-gooder” or for one who tends to see the world through rose colored glasses. I have been accused, a time or two, of being a “Pollyanna” about things. I certainly have my cynical side and I am much more a stoic than the character ever was, but I do like to pick out the strengths in a situation or pick out what I can be grateful for.

If you have never seen the movie or read the book, Pollyanna teaches some pretty miserable people how to look at things through a different lens. One game she uses, and it is a game she learned from her father before he died, is a game called the “glad game.” When playing the glad game you have to look at something that makes you sad and then find one good thing about it that makes you glad. She shares a story about how badly she wanted a doll and her father (they were missionaries) had put in a request that the next missionary donation basket would have a small doll for his daughter. There was a mix up and Pollyanna did not get her doll, but for whatever reason there were crutches inside the shipment instead. When Pollyanna was asked “So, what’s there to be glad about? That’s terrible!” She cheerfully replied, “I am glad that I don’t have to use the crutches!”

There are always things in our path that are hard to navigate. Deployment, sickness, disease, strife, contention, and stresses are certainly some of the things that we have all faced — some of us have faced all of them, and some of us just one or two. Ultimately we are all on this path together. When I worked with “severely emotionally disturbed” kids I would do a strengths based assessment on the child and the support system around him or her. It was amazing to me what resources I could find if I could stop and focus on what was working well. It’s not a negation of the hard or difficult things, but rather it is like taking an inventory of what is working and how to use it to find your way through the calamity.

I used the movie Apollo 13 to illustrate this point when I would teach other social workers how to do a good strengths based assessment. I would forward to the part where the ship begins to have its serious troubles. Do you remember the movie? When the Astronauts radio down to Houston the guys on the ground begin to scramble for ways to fix the ship enough to bring it back home. At first they start talking about how to fix what was broken, but the main leader on the ground essentially tells them to stop thinking and dwelling on the dead parts of the ship. He then tells them to take an inventory of what is working and what we can use from it. Beautiful! You can’t build a working ship from the parts that are useless and not working — you build it from what you have that is useful and working. There are many days that I forget the very advice I used to teach to so many other social workers. Another childhood character comes to mind here. Remember who said “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.”

So, if you want to play the glad game with me, please feel free. I for one am going to try and play it more often. So, I will list the sad thing, and then I will list what I am glad about:

Sad: My father is in the hospital with pneumonia.
Glad: I am glad that he is getting to rest and is being cared for.

Sad: I won’t hear from Mike again for a while.
Glad: I know that I can pray for his safety and his care.

Sad: Bryan’s leg still has a long way to go.
Glad: He is home and his Spirit is still strong.

Sad: I have a headache.
Glad: I am alive and well enough to feel it and to do something about it (grabbing the Advil as I type).

See, it’s not hard at all. What are sad about today? Is there anything in the sad thing to feel glad or grateful about?

Tags: faith, family life, mental health, well wishes by Claire
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