Wednesday, October 30, 2019

My Christmas Wish (unedited), published Nov/Dec 2019 Dauphin County Woman


It’s July.  Families embark on summer vacations at crowded beaches up and down the coast before the kids go back to school.  Picnics precede fireworks displays in celebration of Independence Day.  I’m delegated the cake server at a deployment party for National Guard troops leaving in September.  Bright eyes, witty smiles and camaraderie among military friends and families characterize the day.  Everyone throws down on barbecue sandwiches and corn on the cob.

Pets are welcome and one dog in particular, a loyal Pitbull named Onyx, paces nervously each time his military mom is out of sight.  I already feel sorry for him for when his mom deploys in two months.

It’s August.  Students endure first-day-of-school pictures taken by weepy mothers who swear their kids are growing up too fast.  Soccer fans have a pretty good idea what teams will be playing in the championship games.  Locals are eager to see how their school football teams will do.  Parents who will soon leave to serve their country in another part of the world won’t be in the bleachers at the end of soccer season and wouldn’t miss their child’s pre-season football scrimmage for anything.

The Nomads of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard 104th Aviation Regiment wind down the deployment training they’ve been participating in for the last year.  As civilians counted down the last seconds of December in 2018 and rang in the new year, members of the 104th kept their own countdown.

                It’s September.  The contrast of the good-timing friends at the deployment party in July and their faces now displaying telltale signs of sleepless nights and wearisome farewells remind me of a picture I once saw of Abraham Lincoln comparing his age progression before and after the Civil War.  Their eyes are puffy, noses red.  Throat muscles struggle to maintain composure.  Civilians savor every last second with their departing dads, moms, grandparents, sons, daughters, best friends.  The 104th leave Fort Indiantown Gap for another homeland location fifteen hundred miles away to complete preparations for deployment in a faraway land.  We won’t see them for another year.

Army leadership and government dignitaries praise the soldiers at the deployment ceremony.  “They’re always ready any time of day or night.”  They recognize the selfless service and dedication to the mission that lies ahead.  They couldn’t be prouder that these men and women wear the Army uniform.  The chaplain offers the closing benediction prayer and our soldiers are given two more hours to spend with their loved ones gathered to see them off.

Streams of tears are shed by parents, spouses and friends on September 5th at 1400 hours when the struggle of those remaining behind becomes heartachingly tangible.  Parents hold their sons and daughters in bearhugs as their soldier child stifles the urge to cry.  One soldier leans forward and grabs his knees, recovering from the impact of reality.

                It’s November.  Despite incessant political trash talk, voters engage their constitutional rights and cast ballots for their candidates without suicide bombers or other deadly attacks disrupting the election.  Late in the month, we celebrate Thanksgiving which our very first president, George Washington proclaimed “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.”  We’re free to exercise our faiths and celebrate the holiday without fear of violence or retaliation.

                The troops of the 104th are mobilized overseas, hopefully getting more in their bellies than precooked, no-refrigeration-required MRE’s (meals-ready-to-eat).

It’s December.  Red and green decorations twinkle in store windows.  Children make their wish lists for Santa Claus.  I’m mindful of the sacrifice of both soldiers abroad and families left behind.  As the Grinch steals Christmas, an angel gets his wings, and Santa’s reindeer fly, I can still hear the heavy thump of the rotor blades unique to the Chinook helicopters that gave us one last flyover before carrying our soldiers and their unmatched bravery away on September 5th.

                I’ll be watching marathon episodes of Hallmark Christmas shows this season from my comfy couch with my comfy pillow and warm blanket while night-time temperatures drop to freezing over there.  I know that the freedom to have this kind of leisure is mine because of our men and women willing to serve halfway around the world, keeping us safe at home.  What I want for Christmas is their safety during their year-long journey.  I want them to be confident that they make a difference and not doubt for one second the importance of their service.  I want them to know they are appreciated and most of all, I wish for their safe return next summer.

Link to on-line version:  http://womannewspapers.com/stories/a-christmas-wish,2685

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