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.
