Neutron
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- Apr 19, 2001
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Friday I was in Chattanooga interviewing for a job I want with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Saturday I left, my flight was routed with a 2 hour layover in Atlanta.
When I was sitting at my gate, reading a book a flight pulled in. Getting off that flight was 10 soldiers, 9 guys and a girl, all dressed in that tan cami they wear overseas. When they got off the plane, about as soon as they stepped through the gate they all, to a person started crying. Then they hugged each other. It turns out they've all been over in Afghanistan and Iraq for the past 16 months. Their unit was unexpectantly rotated back to the states. They just got the word 5 days ago. They told me they've been more terrified in the last 5 days than their whole time over there. Anyways, getting off that plane was the first time they've been on American soil for 17 months, they spent a month in Europe prior to going to the middle east.
I talked to them for well over an hour and they told me their stories. The oldes was 23. I found out the youngest was 20 when I offered to buy them a drink and found out they'd rather not because one was only 20, and if he couldn't drink the rest would rather not. Instead I bought them some cheeseburgers and fries, their first American food since they hit the desert. They've had burgers, but the girl told me there's nothing like an American burger made in America. I learned all about their families and how they now appreciated their parents and siblings a LOT more. I of course thanked them for their efforts, shook their hands before my flight boarded, and got a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek from the girl (after of course making sure it wasn't the kiss reserved for her father and mother). Then, because it's Christmas I gave them each a 50 dollar check to help them with a bit of X Mas shopping.
I'm not a big celebrator of X Mas but this is by far one of the best gifts I've ever had. People who actually appreciate what it's like to live in America, and have actually earned the right to call themselves American.
Tron
When I was sitting at my gate, reading a book a flight pulled in. Getting off that flight was 10 soldiers, 9 guys and a girl, all dressed in that tan cami they wear overseas. When they got off the plane, about as soon as they stepped through the gate they all, to a person started crying. Then they hugged each other. It turns out they've all been over in Afghanistan and Iraq for the past 16 months. Their unit was unexpectantly rotated back to the states. They just got the word 5 days ago. They told me they've been more terrified in the last 5 days than their whole time over there. Anyways, getting off that plane was the first time they've been on American soil for 17 months, they spent a month in Europe prior to going to the middle east.
I talked to them for well over an hour and they told me their stories. The oldes was 23. I found out the youngest was 20 when I offered to buy them a drink and found out they'd rather not because one was only 20, and if he couldn't drink the rest would rather not. Instead I bought them some cheeseburgers and fries, their first American food since they hit the desert. They've had burgers, but the girl told me there's nothing like an American burger made in America. I learned all about their families and how they now appreciated their parents and siblings a LOT more. I of course thanked them for their efforts, shook their hands before my flight boarded, and got a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek from the girl (after of course making sure it wasn't the kiss reserved for her father and mother). Then, because it's Christmas I gave them each a 50 dollar check to help them with a bit of X Mas shopping.
I'm not a big celebrator of X Mas but this is by far one of the best gifts I've ever had. People who actually appreciate what it's like to live in America, and have actually earned the right to call themselves American.
Tron
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