My first Thanksgiving with wife and kids since 2005. We were going to go to upstate New York to visit the wife's family and attend her high school reunion then opted on using that money to facilitate a splendid Christmas. Honestly I was not really excited to drive 12 hours to stay for 2 days then drive back. I was looking forward to home cooked food and seeing my father-in-law.
I made sure to take leave so that nothing would interfere with this Thanksgiving holiday, which was a fantastic idea. We decided also to avoid the hassle of cooking our own dinner. We went out to eat at Ryan's Buffet, in which I do have to say they had a tremendous spread. Once we finished eating we went and saw Bolt the movie in 3-D. After words we went to the house and relaxed, no clean up no nothing just family chill time.
Don't get me wrong I do occasionally get home sick for the beautiful Lewis-Clark Valley, in which I was born and raised. My Thanksgiving's there were some times 2 day extravaganza's in which I would spend time with my mother's family and my father's family. My father's family is split between his mom and dad. Sometimes it was spent going to my Grandma Maggie's, then to my Grandma Gladys's. Each having there own special moments and memories.
The last time I was in the Valley and got to spend Thanksgiving with my family was back in 1995. That December I joined the Marines, I wasn't supposed to ship until after the holiday's, but they called and asked me if I wanted to leave the following day once I was cleared at MEP's. I declined but thought about and told them I would leave on that Wednesday (the next day). I said my good-byes, quit my job, and was off. That was DEC 5th!
My first Thanksgiving away from home was in 1996 I was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River, in Jacksonville NC. My good friend Saladine Hines invited me to Conway South Carolina to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family. Sal was black but in the Marines we all saw each other as green, there was no race divider we all had a common bond. Where Sal lived I was definitely the minority, as in I didn't see any white people at all. His mother took me in as if I was her own and on Thanksgiving she had to work, but the next day she was up early cooking us a huge feast. My first experience with Southern home cooking and it was awesome. In 1997 I found myself in New Jersey with one of closest friends John Timms. It was pretty crazy and was just what I would expect from a New Jersey family. Their accents were thick and Johns grandmother yelled at me in her thick Jersey accent to "Pass the fuckin potatoes!", apparently she had asked a couple of times but I couldn't hear her. 1998 I had Thanksgiving dinner on the USS Austin somewhere out in the Black Sea if memory serves me well. On the actual Thanksgiving day we were low on supplies and did not get resupplied until that night or the following day so for Thanksgiving we had chicken and rice. The next day though we had a spectacular feast. I do remember the Austin having outstanding chow. 1999 I had Thanksgiving with my new wife in upstate New York, this is where I would have Thanksgiving until 2003 when I had Thanksgiving at a Residence Inn in Fishkill New York. I was doing a security mission with the NYANG.
Which brings me to present time where in 2006 I was at BNCOC and my battle buddies and I had arrived one minute late to the DFAC and the doors were closed. We beat on the door, until one of our fellow classmates opened the door for us, the next day was actually Thanksgiving where we went to the Airborne chowhall and parked in the Dco's Company Commander's parking spot. 2007 I ate along with my whole Platoon at the FOB Rustamiyah's DFAC. We were fortunate as we were not back at the COP yet and not on gate guard.
Each time though and even more so now I give thanks for the great family I have, and often think about Thanksgivings that I had when I was a kid. I give thanks for being lucky and still being here, I give thanks for those who couldn't be with us for those holidays, I give thanks for the men who surround me. I could go on forever. Thanksgiving is definitely a time for family and to remember those members of the family who are no longer with us. When not home I've been blessed to spend Thanksgiving with my military family.
Thank you for all of my family oversea's spending their holiday's away from home. I wish you all a safe return.
DEUCE DEUCE OUT!!!!
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