I know that most of you will not understand the importance of October 7th 1999. It was a huge deal in our lives. It was the day John took command of Echo Battery 6/52 ADA. When we got to Germany in June we were told it would be at least a year before command would happen. Instead, we were a mere 4 months later, being told to start his equiment iventories which were worth millions of dollars. We were shocked to say the least. We felt unprepared but LTC & Mrs Lambert assured us we were indeed ready. They were the best leadership and mentorship we could have asked for at the time, only we didn't realize it.
While John was busy with inventories I was busy getting a reception planned. John had step by step instructions on what to do so he was good to go. I had planned lots of parties and get togethers but I still felt a little lost. Lucky for me the other wives stepped in and the community was use to helping host these. Food had to be ordered and invitations had to be sent out. To say nothing of the dignitaries that would be there and the seating charts that had to be made. To add more to the mix my folks were flying over so they could share in it, and Lady would finally be with us.
We always loved the promp and circumstance that fills a military ceremony, but this one was extra special. It was a such a huge step up in John's career. I had always been involved in the family side of the military, but it would be my first time running a Family Support Group the way I wanted. Before we knew it the day was upon us. Lots of running around making sure every thing was where it was suppose to be. John had worked hard on his speech and he really wanted to make sure it was ready. He has always been a very good speaker, even asked to guest speak at colleges about his many experiences with the military.
Finally it was time and we all filed into the tent to watch the ceremony. Even Rob attended the ceremony. He was almost 4 but he had been going to ceremonies like these since he was just a few months old. He knew what was expected and he never disappointed us. They always present the outgoing wife and incoming wife with flowers, but they had even thought ahead and presented my mom with some. The outgoing commander's speech was not as long as I thought it would be, and as incoming commander John's speech was wonderfully short. Then it was off to make sure everything was set up for the reception. We wanted to make sure it went off without a hitch. Luckily I had lots of helpers. Now it was time to jump in with both feet, whether we were ready or not. 
strong
Our flights to Germany were overnight flights. St. Louis, MO to Chicago, IL to Frankfurt, Germany. The pilot has the final say as to what and who gets on his plane. As we were waiting in line to board the plane the pilot called us over to talk to him. In his opinion it was going to be too hot in Chicago for Lady to wait for our flight to Germany. He refused to put Lady on his plane. We were stunned. Totally speechless. We tried explaining that this wasn't just a vacation flight for us, we were moving there for 3 years. My parents had already left the airport. We didn't know what to do. He said we could try the next day and hope it would be cooler but John had a report date in Germany that we couldn't be late for.
The pilot said he would hold the flight for 15 minutes so we could decide what to do...thanks. We knew that my folks were going to visit my sister after they dropped us off since she lives close to the airport. So our first call was to her trying to track them down. While I was talking to her my folks got there. I was so stressed out by then that all I could do was to cry so John took over and made the arrangements. A very nice supervisor from United would take Lady to her office until my parents could get back. Our 15 minutes were up and we had to get on the plane. We boarded the plane, took our seats and I cried the entire flight to Chicago.
By the time we made it to Chicago I was a complete mess. I felt like I was being torn apart. At that point I didn't want to get on the plane for Germany. Lucky for us my brother lives in Chicago. He was waiting for us at the gate. (This was before 9/11 when you could still do that.) My mom had gotten a hold of him at the airport and filled him in on what was going on. He was able to tell me that my parents had picked up Lady and she was safe and sound. That made it some what better but it was hard to processes everything before our flight overseas. We were cutting our connection close because the pilot had held the flight for us. So my brother knew right where to go and he rushed us through the airport.
More hugs, kisses and goodbyes and we were on the plane crossing the pond. Rob fell right to sleep and slept the whole flight over there. Our sponsors were waiting for us at Frankfurt and all our luggage made it there OK. Now we just had a 3 hour ride to the base, get checked in and figure out where to go from there. We didn't have our van yet or our household goods or our dog but we had each other and we were finally in Germany.
June 1999
Once John was done at Fort Leavenworth it was time to head over the pond to Germany. We were so excited. When John joined the Army there were 2 places we wanted to go, Hawaii and Germany. We had been to Hawaii twice and now we were getting to check Germany off our list. There was so much to do before heading over. Our household goods had been shipped from Alabama so they were waiting for us in Germany. When John started at Fort Leavenworth we shipped our van and got by on just our Saturn. Rob and I already had our civilian passports since Korea but because Germany was an accompanied tour the government issued us a second passport for official travel and it contained a SOFA stamp (Status of Forces Agreement).
We had about a week in St. Louis to say goodbye to friends and family. You would think since we had moved around so much that this one would be easy but it wasn't. There wasn't anyway to just jump in the car and drive home or find a cheap flight and hop on a plane. Our friends and John's fraternity brothers gave us a good bye party which turned out to be more of a drunk fest. They claimed to be getting us ready for life in Germany...yeah right. Then our families held one to say good bye also. They both were wonderful and awful at the same time.
The day was finally upon us. All our bags were packed, documents in order and we had a ride to the airport. John and I had plenty of books to read on the flight, Rob had new toys and books to keep him busy and we had a big sedative for Lady. Everything was going smoothly. That should have been our first tip off. We gave Lady her pill, checked our bags, got through security. We watched out the windows at our gate as they rolled Lady out in her kennel. The pilot came over and checked on her and then started walking up the steps. We were standing in line to hand over our boarding passes when we heard our names being called over the intercom. We had no idea what was about to happen.
Once we were done at Fort Rucker, John had one more school he had to complete before we could PCS to our next duty station. Our household goods were sent ahead and off we went. John went to a command school at Fort Leavenworth, KS. It was only 6 weeks long so Rob and I stayed with family in St. Louis, MO. My folks kept Rob for us for 2 weekends and I drove out to see John. Then Rob and I went out to Fort Leavenworth one weekend for a visit.
Rob was about 3 1/2 so we were looking for something fun to do with him. We decided on going to a mini golf course. It started out as the prefect day. Not too hot, not to cold. It wasn't raining or very windy. But everything was about to change. We got to the course, parked, got our clubs and balls and headed for the first hole. We got through the first hole OK and then it happened. I realized that I had left my camera in the car so I went back to get it. I got it and headed back for hole #2.
Rob looked up, saw me and came running towards me. The problem was he didn't see a metal black rail that was hip high for me and forehead high for him. He ran smack into it. He was going so fast that he flew backwards and just laid there. It took a second but then John and I started running to him. As we got to him, he was just opening up his eyes. At first I thought he was OK. But then he started screaming and blood came rushing out of his forehead. People came running to help and we scooped up Rob and headed to the office.
The manager at the course called 911 and then tried to help us stop the bleeding. By then Rob and I were both in tears. The ambulance showed up quickly and the medics got to work. All we could do was stand there and wait. They got a bandage on his head and strapped him to a back board. I rode with Rob in the ambulance and John followed us to the hospital.
Once we got to the hospital they took us right away. Next there was iv's, blood tests, x-rays and a CAT scan. Lucky for us in the end he only needed stitches...thank god! We were told to keep him quiet for a few days and have the stitches taken out in 7-10 days. To this day, I can still see him flying backwards and the blood gushing out of his head. It always makes me feel like a horrible mother, Rob on the other hand doesn't remember anything.
As our year apart drew to a close we had to decide what our next step would be. Part of the deal with John going to Korea was that we would get to pick where we went for the Officer Advance Course and then our follow on assignment. Now knowing the Army we didn't expect them to keep their word but to our shock they did!
We picked going to the Aviation Advance Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Why, you ask? Well I have an answer for that. We knew we wanted to try something different from Air Defense Artillery but what? I think it goes back to when John joined the military. He checked out the Air Force first but his eye sight was too bad to fly. So helicopters were as close as he was going to get. Oh, and it fit the timeline.
John got back from Korea and we spent a week visiting with friends and family before heading out. We got to little Enterprise, Alabama over the weekend and started in-processing Monday morning. As usual our first question was about housing. Rob and I waited nervously at the hotel while John got started. He came and got us at about 10am with a huge smile on his face and a handful of keys.
There were plenty of 3 bedroom homes on base and we were actually going to get our pick. As we drove around and looked we noticed some even bigger houses that were empty. So we went back to the housing office and got some keys for 4 bedroom homes. We couldn't believe our luck, we picked out the perfect house.
One of the highlights of the trip, was getting to tour the DMZ. The trip to the DMZ was incredible. It was something that very few civilians get to see. In fact I was the only civilian on the trip, a big honor for me. First there was a dress code. The soldiers had to wear their Class A uniform and I had to wear a dress. We all loaded up in the bus and began the long drive up there. When we got close to the base it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. There was a lot of barbed wire and soldiers with rifles.
The first thing we did was to get a security briefing. During the briefing we had to turn in our military id cards and wear a special security badge. There was to be no picture taking and no sudden movements. Then we watched a movie about the history of the DMZ, it had a lot of facts that I didn't know. Next we got to see the "treaty" room. It was a small building with a rectangle table in the middle. There was actually a white line down the middle of the table. At the ends of the table there was a South Korean soldier on one side and a North Korean soldier on the other. We were told no talking and to not engage the soldiers.
We loaded back into the bus and continued with a driving tour. They drove us to the lookout tower. From there you could see the dividing line and the bridge that connected North to South. You could also hear the propaganda that the North blasted over the loudspeakers. We were told that we were being watched through binoculars and I just had a really creepy feeling. When we were done with the driving tour we got to eat lunch there at their dining hall. Then it was time for the long drive home.
I feel so lucky that I got to experience the DMZ. It's not a place that I would want to go back to but I'm glad I saw it.
Seeing John in Hawaii was wonderful and awful at the same time. I knew that I missed him but after mid-tour I felt hollow. I had no idea how I was going to get through the next 6 months. We finally decided that since John couldn't come to me I would go to him.
Both sets of grandparents were going to take care of Rob and I was flying off for a month in South Korea. Now I had to get busy and get my passport and visa in order. I had never been out of the country before but I kept my eyes on the prize of seeing John. After a long flight from St. Louis to L.A. and then an even longer flight from L.A. to Seoul, South Korea I was in his arms again. Perfection!
Getting through customs was hairy. I couldn't read the signs and didn't speak the language. On top of that with my blonde hair I was getting a lot of stares...very unnerving. Anyway, I finally got through and there was John ready and waiting for me.
John was one of the lucky ones. He had a private "hooch" with a living room, bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. John still had to work during the day so I had some time on my hands. He explained the money and showed me the local transportation and then I was off. I would take the city bus downtown to Uijonbu and wander the markets. The markets were unlike anything we have in the states. They were loud, crowded and smelly...I loved it! As I walked by different stalls they would offer me a free sample. That could be a good thing or a bad thing.
Being separated for a year was going to be hard. We just didn't know hard it would be. I hoped that being back in my hometown with lots of friends and family would help, and it did some what. We had been separated in the past but it had been only for a few weeks. Doing it for 52 weeks was totally overwhelming.
The grandparents were thrilled. Since we had lived so far away they hadn't been able to see Rob as much as they wanted. Now they had to decide how to share him. To keep Rob busy I enrolled him in a pre-school program 3 days a week. It was a great way for Rob to socialize with other children and it gave me a welcomed break. When John and I had talked about having a family we always thought it would be a 2 parent involved job. The Korea tour gave me huge respect for single parents.
We knew going into it that John would miss some things but it really hit hard that fall. It was the first Halloween that Rob understood and enjoyed trick or treating. Next was Rob's 2nd birthday. He was growing up so fast! Thanksgiving was spent dividing our time between the grandparents but we all felt John missing. Christmas was the hardest. Rob loved everything that had to do with Christmas-the tree, the lights, Santa Claus and of course presents!
We somehow muddled through everything. In fact, we started getting excited. John had 30 days of leave for mid-tour and we were meeting in Hawaii for 30 days!
We assumed we had everything behind us. We assumed we had a quiet summer ahead of us. We assumed we would be together. Well, you know what they say about assuming.
The Army decided even though we had only been at Fort Bliss, TX for 11 months, that was long enough. In fact they decided the whole unit didn't need to be there. Our unit was being deactivated. So all the LT's were called into a room to decide what they wanted to do. We were given three choices-learn the Patriot missile system, go to the officer advance course really early or go to Korea-alone-for a year.
John and I didn't like any of our choices. We talked for hours over the pro's and con's of each choice. We tried to figure out what was best for our family. Even though it was the hardest choice, we knew it was the right one for us. We picked Korea-alone for a year. At the time, we thought Rob was young enough to not remember, I could go back to St. Louis and stay with family, and mostly we could "check the box" on our own terms.
All the LT's met back into that same room to tell their choices. When it was John's turn he spoke up and said, "Korea". He was the first one and the room fell silent. The LTC sitting in front of the room turned to him and said, "Does Sue know this?!" John laughed and said yes, we made the decision together. The LTC just shook his head and turned around. We were granted our wish and ended up being amoung the first people to leave.
We had 4 weeks to get everything in order, for John and Rob and I. We had to pack and ship stuff to Korea, pack and ship stuff to St. Louis, and pack and store stuff for the year. There was also a passport to get and shots to recieve. Then we had to sell one vehicle and pack the other one for a three day drive across country. Lucky for us my folks flew down and took Rob back with them. Somehow we managed to get everything done in time.
Before we knew it, all the goodbyes were said and I was waving goodbye to John. Let the countdown begin.
We saw 1996 out with a bang. Our hope was that 1997 would roll along gently, but that wasn't in the cards.
The double ear infections that Rob had over Christmas marked numbers 9 & 10 for the year. The doctors decided that he needed ear tubes put in. I knew mentally they were right but emotionally I wasn't ready. I felt like he been through so much already that he deserved a break. The doctors however wanted the tubes in before he got another infection. So the surgery was set up for the first week in February. My Mom flew in to visit/help and she was both. By the time surgery was over John and I were ready to drop and Mom stepped in when we did. The tubes did the job and Rob ears finally started to heal.
Winter rolled on into spring and everything seemed fine. That was until the middle of May. Rob was set up to have his 18 month check up the 3rd Monday of May. It really was suppose to be a check up and one shot, the chicken pox vaccine. The Saturday before the check up Rob woke up with a fever and was rubbing all over. You can see where this is heading. By Saturday night the spots started showing up and by Sunday he was covered with them. The next two weeks were long day spent in oatmeal baths and lots of Calamine lotion. Luckily that helped enough and Rob doesn't have any scars.
Finally we were all healthy and ready to settle into summer. The Army however had other plans for us.
It was Christmas day and now that we had our answer, we had to figure out what to do with it. The doctor took any decision out of our hands and had Rob admitted to the Peds ward at the hospital. Rob was a very very sick little boy. He had always been thin and tall for his age but with the virus he looked thin and sickly. He really had lost a lot of weight...a lot.
A big thing with the virus was that he couldn't keep anything down. They started an IV to keep him hydrated, but unfortunately he has my veins and is a really hard stick. The nurses helped us get him settled in. He felt so awful that he didn't put up any fight. All he wanted to do was to lay there.
We were still fighting the double ear infections too. The antibiotics that he was on wasn't even touching the infection. He did get a little relief when both of his eardrums ruptured. That released the pressure and the infection was able to drain out of his ears. They changed his medicine again and we finally started making headway on the infections.
What we had to do now was wait it out and pray that he got better instead of worse. Once again we took shifts being with Rob in his room. I have no idea how we would have gotten through it if my folks hadn't been there. On December 30th he finally turned the corner. Thank God! All of the medicines kicked in and his fever went way down. They watched him overnight one last time and then discharged us on December 31st...New Years Eve.
The week between Christmas and New Years 1996 is a total blur to us but we made it through. Rob being a normally healthy little boy bounced back very quickly. We all vowed that next year would be better. We have since learned not to think like that very often.
Christmas Eve day was spent in the hospital er. It was a madhouse. We sat for hours waiting to be seen, then the doctor spent 3 minutes with us and ordered a bunch of tests. We weren't able to get his temperature down even with medicine. We did find out that he had double ear infections but there was something else going on. In the end they sent us home with Tylenol and antibiotics.
Christmas Eve night went on forever...and not in a good way. We had Rob in the bath tub trying to bring down his fever. While he was there I tried to get him to eat something so the medicine wouldn't upset his stomach too much. Finally around 1am we got him semi-comfortable and he slept. We all were so worried about him that we took shifts sitting in his room with him. He got up at 9am still feeling icky but we tried for a good Christmas morning. A nice breakfast was made and gifts were opened. Looking back we shouldn't have tried.
All morning his temperature climbed. Around noon I couldn't take it anymore, so off to the ER we went. This time we saw a different doctor. He looked at Rob's records and he looked at Rob and he didn't like what he saw. He ordered one more test and when the results came back we finally had an answer. Rob had double ear infections and the Rota virus.
