Heros

I have a very emotional reaction to military personnel at airports. My eyes will well up and a giant lump forms in my throat and I want to weep. I am not usually given to crying over strangers. I first noticed it a couple of years ago while waiting to board the plane to my daughter's wedding. I could hear the sound of people clapping and it just kept on going. I finally turned around and looked and above the waiting area was an elevated walkway and there was a line of military men and women, wearing desert camo exiting and the clapping was from welcome volunteers waving flags and applauding them as they entered the terminal. There were excited family members there as well. It was all I could do not to cry. I put it aside as being emotional about my daughter getting married.

Then, I had the same reaction to the military personnel in the waiting area several months later. I could not stop looking at them and wondering if they were going home or back to the military. In today's world, that would likely mean going back to war.

I was a military wife for several years. My military spouse did not fight in a war. He would not have fought at all, because he was a non-combatant. But, he did deploy sometimes and it was always hard to see him leave before the deployment and it was a very joyous day to see him return. When my children were old enough to know what was going on, his return was a true celebration.

I flew to Phoenix last week for a conference. In the waiting area, there was a young solider in his dress uniform. He had a folded flag in a plastic bag. It was the kind of bag that a new blanket would come in, but it was triangle shaped for the folded flag. I was strangely fascinated by the plastic bag. I thought to myself that he must be leaving a duty station and the flag was probably a momento from that base. When we landed in Phoenix and started taxiing down the runway for the airport I saw three firetrucks with their lights on. I was alarmed and thought we might be having an issue and wondered if we would have to go down the exit slide. I was not excited about that prospect. Then I noticed the firemen were all lined up beside the trucks and the ground crew that loads the bags were lined up by the terminal. Then I saw the hearse. The flight attendant was looking out the galley window and the pilots remained seated in the cockpit as the passengers exited the plane. I then understood the folded flag in the plastic bag. The solider was escorting the body of a fallen hero. The lump formed in my throat. The people in the terminal waiting area lined the windows.

As I was trying hard not to cry, I looked beyond the crowd lining the windows and saw several young children dressed in red, white and blue and holding little American flags. There was a young man being wrapped in his mother's arms. Her face had tears streaming down. I tried to determine the relationships. I think it was a returning military man being met by his mother, his brother, sister-in-law and nieces and nephews. They were taking pictures and very happy to have him home. It was a very different story for the family whose son or daughter was being transported in the hearse.

I quickly walked away to the baggage carrousel and waited for my luggage. I selfishly thanked God that I did not have a child who served in the military. I love my country and truly loved being a military wife, but I don't know if I could encourage my children to join the military.

I am thankful that there are brave young men and women who willingly volunteer to protect our country. They may be the bravest of all generations who have served. I pray for the fathers and mothers, spouses, sons and daughters who wait at home. I pray for protection of all those heros as they face another day fighting so that we can enjoy the freedom we take for granted. There were no suicide bombers, no air raids and no one kicking in the doors and dragging people away at the conference. We experienced the peace and protection freely given to us by those who serve this country and never gave it a second thougth.

God bless America and bless those brave heros who freely serve.