Homecomings at Camp Lejeune may be a thing from my past but they replay in my mind frequently. They are so emotional that I relive them as if they were last week!
My nephew Alex McBride, who served with 3rdBn/6th Marines from '02-'06 deployed three times. His first deployment was to the Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan where the Marines stood guard duty around the perimeter of the Embassy compound. He considered that deployment so uneventful that he did not even suggest we drive down there when he returned home so we missed that first homecoming altogether!!! Alex's family was still living in Maryland at that time.
His second deployment was to the mountains of Afghanistan. I felt it would be a tremendous stress reliever for us at home to communicate with a few families of the Marines with whom he was close. There were three families and we connected via phone and internet, sharing the range of emotions that families back home experience while their loved ones served overseas. The Lyborgs from AL (son Michael), the Sandersons from FL (son Derek) and Marti Baker from MD (son Arthur). Our friendships grew in a way that was unique to the wartime situation. Watching the news we shared their successes in battle and we mourned their tragic losses....... We shared our fears and our tears. Alex's parents, like countless other families back home, carried on their daily routine while in the back of their mind was that terror of the dreaded knock on the door informing them that their Marine had fallen in the line of duty. Thankfully that day did not come and before we knew it the time had come to plan for their homecoming!!!!
For me, it was so much more than just the homecoming because I was finally going to meet these families. It was exciting planning how we would identify each other in a huge crowd. Choosing certain attire that was easy to locate in the crowd worked perfectly! With cell phones in hand, we found each other over a vast sea of families spread over the parking lot. It was so wonderful to unite before the actual arrival of our Marines and we had more than ample time. In typical military fashion we were told to arrive by 11am but of course there were multiple delays and our Marines did not arrive until 1am. It was difficult for the families with little children, but for us it meant more time for getting to know one another. The aura of anticipation was in the air. There was television coverage, radio coverage......and walkie -talkies along the route where the buses would bring the men home. False reports on and off set the crowd into a frenzy!!! And then at long last they were nearly home. It was late and it was cold but it didn't matter.
A long row of buses snaked around the corner............all eyes straining to see the faces in the windows.....and then, just like in the movies, there was the shouting of names, arms reaching around necks, prolonged kisses, joyful tears, children lifted in the arms of their dads.
Of course Alex was in the very last bus.......and the tears were pretty much gushing by now. It was so incredible to see him, hold him and thank God that he was there with us. We couldn't keep our hands off of him. They turned in their gear, grabbed their sea bags and we were on our way.
Alex's third deployment and our second and last homecoming was timed perfectly for his unit to be home for Christmas!!! That was the best news we could have possibly hoped for! It started out like the previous homecoming except for one unpleasant detail.....the weather! It was cold, dark, rainy and windy. The weather prevented everyone from enjoying the camaraderie we had experienced previously. Everyone was huddled in their cars, so there was none of the warmth of being together and no conversation while awaiting the buses. We greeted each other quickly and then ran for our cars. We exited the cars long enough to grab our Marines and their gear and hit the road. What a let down after our first encounter was so wonderful!!!
Many years have passed since that '06 homecoming. Many lives have changed. The Lybords and the Sandersons and Marti Baker and I will remain friends forever. The Sandersons were here in the area to visit a few years ago and we really enjoyed being together for a short time. The Lyborgs, including Michael, were here last summer and we had a beautiful reunion which we will not be forgetten. Marti Baker and I stay in touch, Arthur is now a fire fighter in Wash DC. Michael Lyborg and Derek Sanderson are still active duty and enjoying their careers in the Marine Corps.
No comments:
Post a Comment