Try And Imagine......
Why do they do it? Why do people react out of ignorance when they talk about mililtary life? They watch TV and think they are educated and know what it's like to live the lifestyle of a military family. I've heard every reaction from "it must be easy having the government taking care of you all your life" to "thank you". You want to know what the job is like? what the life is like? what it will do to your family? why some do it? then turn off your television, put down the paper, lose your ignorance and ask someone who lived it. Even better, ask a spouse that chose to support it.
Try and imagine........
You get your new orders for another 270 foot patrol boat, stationed in a state you've never been to, a thousand miles or so away. Start thinking of the least painful way to tell your new wife that she is about to move away from everything and everyone she has ever known only to be left alone when she gets there because your going to spend 8 months out of the year for the next 3 years patroling the ocean performing search and rescue and drug interdiction missions.
Try and imagine.........
Being the new wife who gets this news and knows she wants to support her husband, doesn't know if she can, is about to be left alone in a strange atmosphere with all the responsibilities of a Mom, Dad and lone head of household. Then try and smile at him and hold back the tears so he knows your behind him and you don't give him any indication of the fear your living with because you don't want to distract him from his job because it could get him killed.
Try and imagine.......
Watching the pier, your wife and your new baby boy fade off in the distance as you head out to meet a storm because you got a call in the middle of the night that someone you don't know, their wife and baby, have gotten their sailboat capsized in a storm and will die unless you get join them and risk your life as well.
Try and imagine......
Watching your husband leave you, knowing what he is about to do, smile and tell him you love him and you will see him when he gets back....and wait till he leaves to cry. Take your baby boy home, sit and wait by the phone, helpless, wondering how you are going to do this for another month, much less the rest of his career.
Try and imagine......
Flying in a helicopter into the middle of a storm, at night, rain, thunder, lightning, barely being able to see the 25 to 30 foot waves that your going to jump into, if you can find this vessel that needs you. The helo hovers 25 feet above the vessel as to not get taken by the waves and you think of your family as you jump to save another one. With the storm surrounding and blinding you the only lifeline you have is a radio in your helmet guiding you on which way to go by watching the strobe light on your survival suit. You get to the family and hopefully they have something to hold onto so they don't try and hold you, pushing you under the water in a panic. You load them into the basket and they are lifted to the helo. Your last.
Try and imagine......
The look on your wifes face when you get home and hold her. Relieved that its over and dreading the knowledge that it will be done again...and again. You don't give her details, you simply say that they made it, this time. You don't always remember the ones that make it, but they remember you. You never forget the ones that didn't make it, the children you held in your arms as you were hoisted back into the helo, with your tears falling on their silent faces because you didn't get there in time. Unfortunately you never forget those, you live with it, long after you retire.
Try and imagine.......
Living this life for over 20 years, your wife home struggling to pay the bills because for what you do you get paid so little that you qualify for food stamps for the first 15 of those. Watch the media and uneducated people run their mouth about military, showing their ignorance. Go to sleep hoping you don't dream about your failures and the deaths. Your wife holding you in the middle of the night when you wake up because you did.
Try and imagine enjoying your retirement.
Welcome to the life of a Coast Guard family.
Try and imagine........
You get your new orders for another 270 foot patrol boat, stationed in a state you've never been to, a thousand miles or so away. Start thinking of the least painful way to tell your new wife that she is about to move away from everything and everyone she has ever known only to be left alone when she gets there because your going to spend 8 months out of the year for the next 3 years patroling the ocean performing search and rescue and drug interdiction missions.
Try and imagine.........
Being the new wife who gets this news and knows she wants to support her husband, doesn't know if she can, is about to be left alone in a strange atmosphere with all the responsibilities of a Mom, Dad and lone head of household. Then try and smile at him and hold back the tears so he knows your behind him and you don't give him any indication of the fear your living with because you don't want to distract him from his job because it could get him killed.
Try and imagine.......
Watching the pier, your wife and your new baby boy fade off in the distance as you head out to meet a storm because you got a call in the middle of the night that someone you don't know, their wife and baby, have gotten their sailboat capsized in a storm and will die unless you get join them and risk your life as well.
Try and imagine......
Watching your husband leave you, knowing what he is about to do, smile and tell him you love him and you will see him when he gets back....and wait till he leaves to cry. Take your baby boy home, sit and wait by the phone, helpless, wondering how you are going to do this for another month, much less the rest of his career.
Try and imagine......
Flying in a helicopter into the middle of a storm, at night, rain, thunder, lightning, barely being able to see the 25 to 30 foot waves that your going to jump into, if you can find this vessel that needs you. The helo hovers 25 feet above the vessel as to not get taken by the waves and you think of your family as you jump to save another one. With the storm surrounding and blinding you the only lifeline you have is a radio in your helmet guiding you on which way to go by watching the strobe light on your survival suit. You get to the family and hopefully they have something to hold onto so they don't try and hold you, pushing you under the water in a panic. You load them into the basket and they are lifted to the helo. Your last.
Try and imagine......
The look on your wifes face when you get home and hold her. Relieved that its over and dreading the knowledge that it will be done again...and again. You don't give her details, you simply say that they made it, this time. You don't always remember the ones that make it, but they remember you. You never forget the ones that didn't make it, the children you held in your arms as you were hoisted back into the helo, with your tears falling on their silent faces because you didn't get there in time. Unfortunately you never forget those, you live with it, long after you retire.
Try and imagine.......
Living this life for over 20 years, your wife home struggling to pay the bills because for what you do you get paid so little that you qualify for food stamps for the first 15 of those. Watch the media and uneducated people run their mouth about military, showing their ignorance. Go to sleep hoping you don't dream about your failures and the deaths. Your wife holding you in the middle of the night when you wake up because you did.
Try and imagine enjoying your retirement.
Welcome to the life of a Coast Guard family.
posted by ~Gate~ at 8:07 AM
2 Comments:
Yes, and ufortunatley that was a extremely small part of the life mentioning nothing of law enforcement hazardous experiences or wartime sarcrifices. I could write a book of past experiences.
Yet I still have to see people like Cindy Sheehan on the news.
Yet the uneducated will still judge me, us, and what we were then and what we are now.
I have no shame in staying in a low stress, low work and low danger job for the rest of our lives. She's earned it, trust me.
Very powerful. Thank you for your service.
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