Special Moments

I think I have written once or twice about the unique bond Marines and their families share with any other Marine or USMC family member. It is an instant connection and a mutual understanding. While that connection may not be as strong with other branches of the service there are random moments that bring a smile to my face.

Several months ago I was working at LOFT and was ready to ring up a client. She was wearing a USMC Camp Pendleton t-shirt and I said "I have to ask, who is the Marine?" She said "my son is. He just returned from deployment a few weeks ago." I said "oh, congratulations. Who was he with?" She replied that he was on an aircraft ship. I said "oh so he was on a MEU then." She got this puzzled look on her face and said, "so how do you know about MEU's?" My response was "my husband did 4 years in the Corps and deployed on a MEU as well." We continued our conversation about the USMC as I finished her transaction. It brought a smile to both of our faces. It made my day a little brighter. Editor's Note: A MEU is a Marine Expeditionary Unit and is a regularly scheduled deployment where Marines deploy on Navy ships...sorry for the USMC lingo.

When I got home from work that day I told Bivins about my experience and as it turns out he had met a Vietnam Marine on that very same day. He said they had a great conversation about their respective times during life on active duty. I remember thinking that it was something we both needed that day. A jolt of USMC family to tide us over until the next chance meeting.

Tuesday I was headed to work and feeling particularly morose about being so far away from our USMC friends. I really miss having the boys over to our house for dinner and the craziness their visits always brought. Lasagna anyone? I promise to turn off all the burners when I put it in the oven. Bivins will stay away from the stove. (If you haven't heard his story...I made lasagna a few nights before the boys deployed. I left a burner on and Bivins found it with his right hand. Needless to say it made the beginning of his deployment a little painful and left me feeling stressed. Not a great way to start a deployment.) Anyhow, as I pulled into the mall parking lot I saw a recruiter headed to the mall as well. It made me smile. I kind of wanted to hunt him down and talk to him for just a few minutes...but I had work to do. Then during my shift at work I happened to talk to a woman about what she was looking for on her shopping outing. She said she was headed to an Air Force reunion this weekend in Yorktown, PA. We talked a few minutes more and I learned she was born in Toledo, Ohio (not terribly far from where I grew up) and that she now had a son and a daughter who had each given them a granchild here in AL. I wished her happy shopping and said I really hoped that she enjoyed the reunion. {Sigh}

My dream is that I can start a reunion like this for all of "my boys." I can't decide if I would like it to happen on the 4th of July or if it should take place on the USMC birthday (which is getting closer...I must plot a night of fun to celebrate the 234th USMC Birthday.) I would like it to be a yearly reunion so my boys can stay in touch with each other and so I can sit in on some of their fun times. Also, part of my dream is that we would be able to fund the majority of this reunion so the boys will be further enticed to participate. Who doesn't want a free trip? Or maybe a mostly free trip? I'll keep dreaming and hopefully one year it will become a reality. So far we've been able to get Combs to come visit. The way I see it we only have a few more Marines to entice here.