My Veteran

This week always reminds me how thankful I am... not because Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but because of My Veteran.

Here is a little background... excuse me if I get reallly cheesy in here :)

I met Nate in high school. We were not high school sweet hearts... I needed a date to our senior prom and Nate asked me. The rest is kind of history.... ok... here is the truth... I was not head of heals in love with him right away. He was so nice and kind and stuck by me when I was pretty mean to him. I ditched him on prom night (he never lets me live it down) and we dated a bit after prom, but then I broke it off. My Mom and friends told me over and over that I was making a mistake... but he was leaving in September for Marine Corps Boot Camp and I was going to college... I didn't want to deal with the reality of how hard it would be to stay together. Nate never gave up though, he talked to me every day and before I knew it we were back together.

On September 13th 2004 Nate left for Parris Island South, Carolina. For Marine Corps boot camp. I was so sad. We had an amazing summer together and were by this point so sure that we were going to get married. I wrote him every single day and he wrote me as often as he could. I have ever single letter saved (in case you're REALLY board and want to read them!) We got news from Nate in November (well his Mom and Dad did) that he had broken both his legs... he was now at the hospital on Parris Island and would not be graduating on Dec 10th as planned. I was heart broken! He was supposed to be home by Christmas and with us again for a bit!! Some how (I still don't know how he pulled this off) Nate's Dad arranged for us to go to see him at boot camp. Totally not something you can just do... His Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother and I flew to South Carolina to have six hours with him. Two one day and four the next day. It really lifted Nate's spirits and ours as well!! Nate and I kept writing (and I got flowers from him on the 23rd of every month that he was gone)... and FINALLY on March 4th 2005 he graduated!!! He was now our United Stated Marine! We were all so proud!!! I've told this story on here so I wont get into it, but Nate arranged with his Mom to bring a ring to graduation and in front of everyone he proposed to me!!! (another LONG story... I had dropped out of college by this point!)

We got married on October 4th 2005 (wont get into the wedding saga that's on here too!) and moved to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville North Carolina. Oh... Jacksonville.... You just need to go there some day to understand. It's a real southern town right near the outer banks of North Carolina... REAL southern people live there, and then mixed into this amazing southern culture are Marine's. Hundreds of them, from all over the U.S. Every where you go people have high and tights, small kids and young wives. The general population of Jacksonville is under the age of 25. It's an odd place.... but a great place and a place that will always be close to my heart.

We lived in our ghetto apartment for 8 months and then Nate deployed on June 6th 2006 on the USS Iwo Jima for six months. I moved home to Maine because I was NOT staying in that apartment!! To make phone calls from the ship was incredibly expensive so most of our contact for six months was letters and e-mails. It was hard to be apart for so long and after only having 8 months together as husband and wife before he left. I moved back to Jacksonville in October of 2006 and Nate came home on December 3rd!!! I will say it million times... there is NOTHING like a homecoming!!! NOTHING! Nothing like standing there for hours waiting for the bus (as it gets postponed and postponed) nothing like seeing that bug pull up with the love of your life inside and NOTHING like the first hug and kiss after six months apart!!!!

We lived in our new apartment in Jacksonville for four months and then got the news... President Bush wanted to push into Iraq and needed a troop surge... Nate was not supposed to deploy again until July, but his deployment date was moved up and in April he would be going to Iraq. That was a terrible day.... I was working by this time and came home form work, from the look his face I knew something was up. "I'm going to Iraq, in April." deep down inside I knew he was excited. This is why he joined... to serve our country, but I was so so so sad and so worried!!! Nate left right after Easter and I again moved home. The stress of your spouse being in a war zone is unimaginable.... I worked two jobs back here and did everything I could not to think about it. Nate was busy there and I did not hear from him too much.... It was really really hard.

FINALLY on Nov 10th (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINE CORPS!) my husband came home. After seven months apart he was in my arms. This homecoming was even better than the first. I remember RUNNING into his arms and once we touched I said "THANK YOU GOD, THANK YOU GOD, THANK YOU GOD" over and over again.... he was home!!!

After many long talks and lots of lists of pros and cons Nate decided to get out of the Marine Corps. He loved serving his country, but had a hard job in Corps and wasn't sure he could do it forever. He wanted to go to college and work for his Dad and wanted to be home for good. August 28th 2008 we kissed Jacksonville, SO many good friends, and the Military life goodbye and moved home.

My long story ends here and I am sorry this is SO long... but you have to understand something, My Veteran is my husband. He means everything in the world to me. We got some cheesy pictures taken this weekend and a few people have said things like "you're so in love." "how do you stay so crazy about each other". Well there was a time in our marriage that I was not sure how long we would have. When you kiss your husband goodbye and he leaves to a place where their main goal is to kill him, you just can't imagine that feeling unless you have done it. I am so in love with Nate because he's still here!!! It's easy, because I don't take him for granted. I am so proud of him and know first hand all the things he went through to protect the freedom of this country. He is easy to love. I know this is long, but I really want to stress that Veteran's Day is not just a day off from work... you need to thank a Veteran. He kissed his wife and children goodbye, he put his life on the line for YOU. There is no draft in this country, no one forces you to go to war because of people like my husband. People like my friend's husbands who are STILL doing this for us. That veteran did something so you didn't have too.... that Veteran's wife kisses her husband goodbye so you can keep yours. Please, thank a Veteran this week. Hold their hands and tell them how thankful you are for what they do for you. Thank a military wife this week and tell her how thankful you are that you're eating dinner with your spouse each night because she's not and that you're thankful for what she does. I am so thankful to have gone through all we went through our first four years of marriage... Nate missed every wedding anniversary the first four years of marriage... he missed every one of my Birthday's until he was out of the Marine Corps.... he put his life on the line for me, you and America.