flippingsparrow

>It could have been any night of the week, as I sat in one of
>those loud and casual steak houses that are cropping up all over the
>country. You know the type-a bucket of peanuts on the table, shells
>littering the floor, and a bunch of perky college kids racing around
>with longneck beers and sizzling platters.
>
>Taking a sip of my iced tea, I studied the crowd over the rim of my
>glass. I let my gaze linger on a few of the tables next to me, where
>several uniformed military members were enjoying their meals.
>Smiling sadly, I glanced across my booth to the empty seat where my
>husband usually sat. Had it had only been a few weeks since we had sat
>at this very table talking about his upcoming deployment to the Middle
>East? He made me promise to come back to this restaurant once a month,
>sit in our booth, and treat myself to a nice dinner.
>
>He told me that he would treasure the thought of me there eating a steak
>and thinking about him until he came home. I fingered the little flag
>pin I wear on my jacket and wondered where at that moment he was. Was
>he safe and warm? Was his cold any better? Were any of my letters
>getting to him? As I pondered all of these things, shrill feminine
>voices from the next booth broke into my thoughts.
>
>"I don't know what Bush is thinking invading Iraq. Didn't he learn
>anything from his father's mistakes? He is an idiot anyway, I can't
>believe he is even in office. You know he stole the election."
>
>I cut into my steak and tried not to listen as they began an endless
>tirade of running down our president. I thought about the last night I
>was with my husband as he prepared to deploy. He had just returned from
>getting his smallpox and anthrax shots and the image of him standing in
>our kitchen packing his gas mask still gave me chills.
>
>Once again their voices invaded my thoughts.
>"It is all about oil, you know. Our military will go in and rape and
>pillage and steal all the oil they can in the name of freedom. I wonder
>how many innocent lives our soldiers will take without a thought? It is
>just pure greed."
>
>My chest tightened and I stared at my wedding ring. I could picture how
>handsome my husband was in his mess dress the day he slipped it on my
>finger. I wondered what he was wearing at that moment. He probably had
>on his desert uniform, affectionately dubbed coffee stains, over the top
>of which he wore a heavy bulletproof vest.
>
>"We should just leave Iraq alone. I don't think they are hiding any
>weapons. I think it is all a ploy to increase the president's
>popularity and pad the budget of our military at the expense of social
>security and education. We are just asking for another 9-11 and I can't
>say when it happens again that we didn't deserve it."
>
>Their words brought to mind the war protesters I had watched gathering
>outside our base. Did no one appreciate the sacrifice of brave men and
>women who leave their homes and family to ensure our freedom? I
>glimpsed at the tables around me and saw the faces of some of those
>courageous men, looking sad as they listened to the ladies talk.
>
>"Well, I for one, think it is a travesty to invade Iraq and I am
>certainly sick of our tax dollars going to train the professional baby
>killers we call a military."
>
>Professional baby killers? As I thought about what a wonderful father
>my husband is and wondered how long it would be before he was able to
>see his children again, indignation rose up within me.
>
>Normally reserved, pride in my husband gave me a boldness I had never
>known. Tonight, one voice would cry out on behalf of the military. One
>shy woman would stand and let her pride in our troops be known. I made
>my way to their table, placed my palms flat on it and lowered myself to
>be eye level with them. Smiling I said, "I couldn't help overhearing
>your conversation. I am sitting over here trying to enjoy my dinner
>alone. Do you know why I am alone?
>
>
>Because my husband, whom I love dearly, is halfway across the world
>defending your right to say rotten things about him. You have the right
>to your opinion, and what you think is none of my business, but what you
>say in my hearing is and I will not sit by and listen to you run down my
>country, my president, my husband, and all these other fine men and
>women in here who put their lives on the line to give you the freedom to
>complain. Freedom is expensive ladies, don't let your actions cheapen
>it."
>
>I must have been louder than I meant to be, because about that time the
>manager came over and asked if everything was all right.
>
>"Yes, thank you." I replied and then turned back to the ladies, "Enjoy
>the rest of your meal."
>
>To my surprise, as I sat down to finish my steak, a round of applause
>broke out in the restaurant. Not long after the ladies picked up their
>check and scurried away, the manager brought me a huge helping of apple
>cobbler and ice cream, compliments of the table to my left. He told me
>that the ladies had tried to pay for my dinner, but someone had beaten
>them to it. When I asked who, he said the couple had already left, but
>that the man had mentioned he was a WWII vet and wanted to take care of
>the wife of one of our boys.
>
>I turned to thank the soldiers for the cobbler, but they wouldn't hear a
>word of it, retorting, "Thank you, you said what we wanted to say but
>weren't allowed."
>
>As I drove home that night, for the first time in a while, I didn't feel
>quite so alone. My heart was filled with the warmth of all the patrons
>who had stopped by my table to tell me they too were proud of my husband
>and that he would be in their prayers. I knew their flags would fly a
>little higher the next day. Perhaps they would look for tangible ways
>to show their pride in our country and our troops, and maybe, just
>maybe, the two ladies sitting at that table next to me would pause for a
>minute to appreciate all the freedom this great country offers and what
>it costs to maintain. As for me, I had learned that one voice can make
>a difference. Maybe the next time protesters gather outside the gates
>of the base where I live, I will proudly stand across the street with a
>sign of my own. A sign that says "Thank you!"
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>Lori Kimble is a 31 year old teacher and proud military wife.
>She is a California native currently living in Alabama.

tradish_wiyan

Beautiful story :) thanks for sharing!!!

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Chindi_Slayer

As I read the letter from the wife in Alabama, tears welled up in my eye. You know, last year about this time I was in Kuwait while my husband was somewhere in Iraq fighting a war he believed was for his family and daughter. I too, sat alone everyday wondering and watching the news to see if his name was going to pop up on the screen. As I watched the names of Marines rolled across, every moment was the most stressful time in my life. I am so proud of my husband. He is my hero. He volunteered to deploy only because I was there already. We left our 2 year old daughter behind and fought a war we believed was for her sake. So that one day she can tell the rest of the world that her parents fought for freedom. I am so proud to be a servicemember and wife. I too have heard alot of downtalk about our president and the brave young men and women in Iraq. I believe that if President Bush didn't declare war, we wouldn't see the people of Iraq free of a tyrrant. Let me itterate one thing here for all those protesters-try holding a 1 year old child in your hands, with his leg blown off and his parents tortored alive with acid???? Try giving a candy sent to you from home to a kid begging for food trying to sell cigarettes off the road so he can feed the rest of his family?? If we didn't go over there, the people of Iraq would still be afraid to walk down the street. Imagine that? All you want is to feed your family and you get apprehended for looking at an Iraqi soilder wrong? I have seen alot in my life time, believe me. I know my husband is very proud to serve his country. I know for all the people who's opinion is to talk trash about our servicemen and women, if it weren't for the ones who went before us, our grandfathers-YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO RIGHT TO TALK TRASH.

Although, everyone has a right to their own opinion, it's sad that the rest of our nation don't believe in our mission to democracy. Once again I have to return to the Middle East, I have to leave my husband and my daughter again. I hope that one day I see a Free Iraq and know that I was apart of that. I'm returning so that you have the right to sit at this computer and read this letter. I'm returning so that another plane won't crash into another skysraper. I'm returning so that you can sleep at night in your bed peacefully while we are awake at 3 in the morning standing watch, hungry and tired. For Miss Alabama, I salute you for supporting us. It does take alot of guts to stand up.

To all the war mothers, wives and children-stay strong. Prayer is the only hope we got. For all those reading this response, I hope that you share your part in this nation by sending a soilder, a Marine, a sailor, or airman a letter. It's awfully lonely out there. Send a care package. It is the most awesome feeling in the world knowing that you got mail. It's the only thing we look forward to out there.

So with that, I hope people do a little more research on the war instead of just getting information off the television. Talk to someone who's been there. Don't assume it's all guts and glory you see, the media doesn't show all the behind the scenes. Let the Creator be with all serving our great nation. May God be with the protestors-give them assurance and guidance. Bless our commander in chief for sticking to his guns, and last but not least be with the family of brave Marines and soilders who've given their lives. Give them comfort. Good day everyone.

TaShunka Luta

:Thumbs :american: Good words from you Chindi_Slayer!! I applaud you and your husband - I've been in for 16 years and seen one war and am on alert for Iraq later this summer, my fiance is in Afghanistan and has been for almost a year. You're right about the american public and it's perception of the war and how people really don't know unless you're there. It's like living in another world and your reality is far from the reality of the rest of the american people. It's hard, and its lonely but it gives me so much pride to be a soldier I don't think I could do anything else. I have a 12 year old daughter and everytime she has to write a paper in school about who she looks up to or aspires to be like - she writes about me. To know that my daughter is so proud of what I do is awesome! I also know what it takes for you and your husband to be apart. :flag:

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Annie Fawn

Thank you for writting this! My foster nephew's wife lost their baby while he was on the March to Bagdad and he couldn't be told until the march was finished. TJ got a 10 day leave a month after his son's funeral, to be with his wife. I am still amazed at the number of people who say things like it was TJ's fault he wasn't here for his wife to his wife! His sister who is also in the service finally visited her nephews grave last month when her unit was sent home. It was also the 1st. time in a year that she had gotten to be with her 2 year old daughter. TJ, his sister and her husband all joined the miltary because they believe in what our country stands for. They and their families deserve our FULL support not our critism.

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Courage is just fear that has said it's prayers.

fmreyna

i am also sitting here reading these posts and crying. my husband is also in Iraq. He has 7 more months to go. I am so proud of him. People who have never been in the military or a spouse of a soldier have no idea. These brave men and women give up their families so that families in another country can be free. The wives and husbands that are left behind sometimes have no contact with their spouse but every other week if that. So they sit and they wonder if the next newscast is going to contain their husbands name on the list of the deceased. I am very proud to the wife of a soldier! Plus, I have a saying that every night as long as someone hasnt come to my door in uniform then it has been a good day.

50cal

Hey how come you didn't tell me you posted on here??? Geez holding out on me...LOL JK I read your post and I do have to say I am damn proud to be married to you. I know how you felt when we were both deployed and how much you were hurting. I hurt too, as did many of my Marines. I told you how many times I had to counsel my fellow troopers on their private lives and to stick to their beliefs and memories. Because all we had was each other, even when part of our country turned their back on us. I had turned to my platoon commander and/or my platoon sergeant to talk about issues that faced me. All I can tell you if it wasn't for your devotion and love me for me I would not had made it out alive. Every day of my life there, I always looked forward to receiving a letter from you. Sometimes days would go by when I (we) would not get anything, especially after a day of heavy fighting in the streets of Baghdad, Nasiriyah, Kut and diwaniyah. The pictures I had of you and our daughter was an inspiration of what I had come to believe. I used to hink to myself, if not now, when? These people deserve a better life then what they had. Now that the tyranny is gone, we have a new fight on our hands. The troops there still need our dedication no matter what our countrymen and women say. Yes. it was unfortunate that scandal with the prisoners had to happen. But like I told you babe, sometimes you have to do what you got to do to protect your fellow trooper. Because his life is in your hands and yours in his. And when we fail them, we fail each other. Now don't get me wrong everyone, I personally don't condone such actions. When we took prisoners, we gave up a lot of our own MRE's (meals-ready to eat) to them and our own water. We treated them better then ourselves. At times we had to push on with no food or water for days on end. Our own supply could not keep up with us! Anyways, so to everyone out there, lets just support our troops. My own .02 cents

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50cal

man it seems so long since I seen this....I remember my wife and I were deployed at the same time and we left our 2 y.o at home with her grandparents and aunts...bouncing around from home to home for 8 months.....I never felt so alone in my life, although I had my boys with me....I could just imagine how she felt....I can still see her running down the dirt road from my parents home, running into my arms and holding me so tight, I couldn't help it....I broke down and hugged her back, I think it was like 4 days later we let go of each other....it still makes me sad to this day that we put her through that.......but now that we are back we look forward to meeting with people who were there or are going there....I especially like to talk with former and active Marines....it makes me feel good to be around them.....uncanny how a group of people you never met before can have such a big impact on your life......Semper Fi to all my friends (my brothers) who lost their lives......

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