B2B-Day2: 101st Airborne Div. -Fort Campbell

This week I will be participating in a Back to Blogging challenge hosted by SITS girls for a chance to win an Electrolux Washer/Dryer set sponsored by Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath and Florida Builder Appliances.

Each day this week there will be a writing prompt, Today's is: A Post You Wish More People Had Read.

Here is mine, posted on Nov 6, 2008:

101st Airborne Div. - Fort Campbell
I drove Michael to Fort Campbell very early Mon. Morning. It was dark, and there was a short blanket of fog. As we drove onto the base I could see ok thru the fog. There was lots of empty space between large buildings. I was focused on the directions Michael was giving me so that I wouldn't get lost on my way out, and out of the corner of my eye, I thought I had seen a small grouping of soldiers, poised in combat position. I recall seeing a grouping of helmets, and the points of guns, thru the fog. It was a strange feeling. It felt like I was driving thru the middle of a military operation. All I could think was - it can't be and if it is then they are training.

I dropped Michael off, and drove back to Nashville. The Sun came up as I was driving. And again all I could notice was the wonderful color scheme. I stopped and took some pictures. I thought to myself I can use these in an color excersice that Susan does, where you pull color from a picture.

So here it is before:



And the color scheme I pulled:

and another picture that would be good for the excersice.

Michael called around Noon, so I drove back out to Fort Campbell to pick him up. I couldn't stand the not knowing about what I saw that morning so I asked him. "Is there a field out here where I might have seen a Military exercise this morning, I remember seeing helmets and riffles thru the fog"

He said no, but there is a new memorial that has soldiers standing on a large grassy field. It's just around the corner, want to go. I said sure!

It wasn't the picture that I conjured in my head, but I can see how I would have taken key elements of the memorial and created a different vision in my mind.




Michael is part of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, they have had some high honors in most war's the US has been involved in.

The Marbel itchings were stunning:







And it was surrounded by soilder's names from all war's after WWII as they were new in WWII.





The statue's had such attention to detail that Michael was able to point at all the gear and tell me what everything was used for.


I was so glad that I asked. We then drove home (hotel) had lunch there, then went to the Mall and walked around. Then went to Target, and bought the game of life, we like board games. By then it was time for dinner so we went to dinner, and then came back home (hotel) and played the game of life. Michael and Stephanie wrestled they like to do that. They jumped on the bed. Like I said it feels like I still have 4 year olds. Then we went to bed, as I was going to have to drive Michael back to the base, before we drove out to the airport. We had two great days.

What follows for Michael is a tough adjustment period. He will be at Fort Campbell for 90 days before they let him get out. That will be a homecoming. Until then all we were able to due for him, is make him feel like home for a couple of days.

At this point I had been blogging for almost a year, I'm a very reserved person. My life is mine to deal with and not to be told around town, was and to some degree still is the way I think. Michael coming stateside after being in Iraq for 12 months was very emotional and I was having trouble telling people around me anything, so I chose to express some of it on the blog. This post gives a small insight as to my family life that's why I like it. but I love it because of the great history that exists on most military bases they are museums in and of themselves.