Jeremy left for his first deployment to Afghanistan on November 3, 2010.
He had to report to Camp Pendleton around 2 am to get his weapon and load up on the busses so they could drive to March AFB and fly out.
We decided not to sleep that night, instead we stayed up cuddling on the couch watching movies and enjoying our last few hours together.
I was surprisingly unemotional the entire day. He loaded up his bags and we drove his truck to base. He checked out his weapon. We waited around for a few hours (because it’s the military and there is always waiting lol).
He left with a fairly small group of Marine, probably 25-30. The rest of the unit had left a few days prior and his detachment would meet up with them in Afghanistan.
A few other wives were there, only about 4-5. Most were crying. A few left before the busses came, probably to get home and get their kids to bed.
One other wife stayed until the busses left. I didn’t know her at the time, but we ended up being good friends when her husband and Jeremy became friends during deployment.
I didn’t cry when he got on that white bus. I didn’t cry when it drove away. I didn’t cry when I drove home.
But when I got home and saw the gifts that Jeremy had left me; a teddy bear with a voice box in each hand that he had recorded with his voice, flowers, and my favorite chocolate; I cried.
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”
And when I woke up in the morning; alone. One day down out of 7 months; the end seeming so very far away…I cried again, for the last time of that deployment.
I missed my husband, of course. But I felt that the best thing I could do for him during this deployment was to be strong. Be strong for him so all he needed to worry about what his job. He didn’t need to worry about me, about if I was sad or depressed. He had a job to do, and my job was to help him do that job to the best of his ability.
To be continued….
look beyond the imperfections 