Once again...
I apologize for taking so long to update my blog but here you go....
At the end of May, I returned home from a two week training at Kings Pointe, New York. It was for Master at Arms training. An MA is the Navy's version of the Army's MP's. Since I have been designated as my unites MA, I was asked to attend. The training went real well and I did learn a lot but the best thing about it was that my good friend Marty Gill was able to get into the same class. If you recall, Marty and I were in Iraq together. It was great seeing him and even better being able to hang out with him. We had the chance to make it across the water and into the unbelievable city that is New York. We hung out at Times Square, Central Park, China Town, Battery Park, etc., just doing what tourists do but the best time was spent saddled up at Charlie Bullfrogs in Flower Mound, NY which was located within walking distance of the hotel. We met some great people out there that helped make our stay out there incredibly enjoyable. Laura, the owner, Sharon, Jill, and Kathy. Great, great people.
On one of the first nights that we were out there, Marty and I started talking and really, opening up about some of the things that we saw and did while we were in country. We talked, got emotional at times but it felt good. Well, this guy, in his 50's, comes over and sits down and he asks, "Were you guys over in Iraq?" So we start sharing our stories with him. He does not say much, just nods his head. After about 20 minutes he looks away, takes a long drink from his beer and looks back at us and says, "I was an officer in Vietnam." And he, Peter, opens up and shares story, after story with us. Some of the stories were incredibly detailed, graphic, sometime too graphic. They left us speechlees. He kept going. And then he stopped, as though he realized that he had just meet these two guys and was sharing things that maybe, he should not be sharing with us. I leaned over and put my hand on his shoulder and asked him, "When's the las time that you talked about this stuff?" He took another drink and a tear fell from his eye, he looked at me and said, "This is the first time that I have ever talked about what I went through. Guess my ex wife was right. I needed to let this shit out." We just sat there for a while, nothing needed to be said.
We met up with Pete on a couple of other occassions and each one was memorable and invaluable.
Monica and Checo, Marty's girl were able to make the trip to NY and meet up with this. We showed them around NYC and Long Island but we eventually made it back to Bullfrogs. We had our drinks and started talking about our conversations with Pete and with one another and the raw emotions came out. We admitted to eachother and to our better halfs just how scared we were out there and how difficult readjusting to life back home has been for both of us. Although Marty and I are very much alike, we did not realize that we were hurting so badly. And the truth is, neither did the girls. Marty looks at me and says, "Is'nt this great? We're here, with our girls, having drinks, talking like this. I needed this, Big Man. I really did." Me too, bro. More than you'll ever know.
At the end of May, I returned home from a two week training at Kings Pointe, New York. It was for Master at Arms training. An MA is the Navy's version of the Army's MP's. Since I have been designated as my unites MA, I was asked to attend. The training went real well and I did learn a lot but the best thing about it was that my good friend Marty Gill was able to get into the same class. If you recall, Marty and I were in Iraq together. It was great seeing him and even better being able to hang out with him. We had the chance to make it across the water and into the unbelievable city that is New York. We hung out at Times Square, Central Park, China Town, Battery Park, etc., just doing what tourists do but the best time was spent saddled up at Charlie Bullfrogs in Flower Mound, NY which was located within walking distance of the hotel. We met some great people out there that helped make our stay out there incredibly enjoyable. Laura, the owner, Sharon, Jill, and Kathy. Great, great people.
On one of the first nights that we were out there, Marty and I started talking and really, opening up about some of the things that we saw and did while we were in country. We talked, got emotional at times but it felt good. Well, this guy, in his 50's, comes over and sits down and he asks, "Were you guys over in Iraq?" So we start sharing our stories with him. He does not say much, just nods his head. After about 20 minutes he looks away, takes a long drink from his beer and looks back at us and says, "I was an officer in Vietnam." And he, Peter, opens up and shares story, after story with us. Some of the stories were incredibly detailed, graphic, sometime too graphic. They left us speechlees. He kept going. And then he stopped, as though he realized that he had just meet these two guys and was sharing things that maybe, he should not be sharing with us. I leaned over and put my hand on his shoulder and asked him, "When's the las time that you talked about this stuff?" He took another drink and a tear fell from his eye, he looked at me and said, "This is the first time that I have ever talked about what I went through. Guess my ex wife was right. I needed to let this shit out." We just sat there for a while, nothing needed to be said.
We met up with Pete on a couple of other occassions and each one was memorable and invaluable.
Monica and Checo, Marty's girl were able to make the trip to NY and meet up with this. We showed them around NYC and Long Island but we eventually made it back to Bullfrogs. We had our drinks and started talking about our conversations with Pete and with one another and the raw emotions came out. We admitted to eachother and to our better halfs just how scared we were out there and how difficult readjusting to life back home has been for both of us. Although Marty and I are very much alike, we did not realize that we were hurting so badly. And the truth is, neither did the girls. Marty looks at me and says, "Is'nt this great? We're here, with our girls, having drinks, talking like this. I needed this, Big Man. I really did." Me too, bro. More than you'll ever know.
posted by szamora at 2:30 PM
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