Vietnam~ Waiting Wives 1970 ~ Part 3

It is said that we glorify the past. I look back on that time as a time of personal growth. A test of strength and endurance. Maybe with that statement, there might some glorification of those 18 months. I remember vividly so many things that went wrong and the few that went well.

I remember the postman. I sat on the front steps each day, weather permitting, to watch for him. A letter meant my pilot husband was OK. and was a boost to my day.
We had no text messaging, no cell phones and no Internet for emails. Communication was strictly through the 'snail mail.'
Letters took 10-14 days, but on a daily basis, it seemed to be immediate contact.

Each day, the postman would by-pass other houses to bring the letters right up the steps to me as each day, I grew fatter with baby. He smiled as he walked up, just as if he had personally written the letter himself. The letters all had the red and white boarders and stood out from other mail.

The first day there was no letter, he was more concerned than I. With sincere apologies he broke the news..."I am so, so sorry, but I don't have a letter for you today."
The next day, two letters arrived. They arrived being waved in the air by one happy Postman.
Seeing how he worried, I explained the protocol ~the Air Force would have sent a black car with two officers to my door, had there been a tragedy.

After spending time with many people I had known before I married and moved away, it didn't take long to realize my life was totally different than my civilian friends. I realized I needed the company of other military wives.

The Air Force assisted me in locating 82 Waiting Wives in the City near were I lived. Soon, we established the Waiting Wives Club for that area.
We had a luncheon monthly. We swapped stories and it was good to hear others talk about the cities and remote locations in Vietnam.
By phone, news in the group traveled fast.
We only lost one member when her husbands plane was shot down. That stunned us into the reality that any day, we could have the same news.

Another loss of a different kind~
One of the husbands was a Military Doctor in Vietnam (a MASH Unit) met and fell in love with a nurse he met there in Vietnam. That was another reality of the war and separation.

Each day~ I wrote a letter with stories of the children and Trixie the dog. How I wish I had those letters to publish today.
cont...

Vietnam ~ Waiting Wives Part 2

The assignment was a long one...18 months. A year and half seemed forever. The decision was easy. With a new baby on the way, we would move back to my home town to be near family and support systems.
Our new house was sold immediately.

The first day of the 18 months began all too soon. Barely settled into a rental house...the day came. I planned not to dwell on the negative, however, Vietnam was a televised war and I knew my husband would be flying into danger each and every day. We casually talked about all possibilities and made plans. They were to write a letter every day. We planned for him to come home for the birth of the baby and later, meet half way, in Hawaii.

At the airport, we followed Air Force tradition. When a loved one is flying out, it is considered bad luck to watch the plane until it is out of sight. The children and I stood to see the plane into the sky and then turned to begin my duty of supporting him by taking care of the home front and being brave.
To be cont...

Events of a Kind Come In Three's

I commented on an old adage here

when

in one week,

three people in my

life, departed.

I thought of an old adage...

"Death's come in three's."

Seems to be some truth ~

however~

A friend of mine reminded me that good things comes in three's as well.
She said 'three' was the number used in Nursery Rythms.
The Three Little Pigs, The Three Bears, etc.

My personal loss this past week,

was shocking.

One person died as weas expected but the other two were very unexpected.

One was young, another in the prime of his life and the last was my life-long friend Ann.

Ann and I were best friends since age five. We walked to school together and sat next to each other for the first 3 years of school however, in

the 4th grade we had too much to talk about so the teacher separated us.

We lead very different lives but our friendship was always in place.

We never lost touch.

I will miss the comfort of her always being there.

After losing someone in our circle of life, we stop for awhile.
WE TAKE TIME and REEVALUATE OUR OWN LIVES.

June