I was awakened by my cell phone. It was about 3:00 am Eastern Time. I was at Fort Benning, Georgia, waiting to be shipped off to the Middle East for Operation Iraqi Freedom and my wife on the other end of the cell phone was in labor. I woke one of my roommates and had him take me to the Garrison Support Unit (GSU) headquarters to get an emergency release. From the parking lot outside the building I had to call the Red Cross office to get them to call the GSU to release me. As I explained the situation to a lady with the Red Cross she asked, “Is birth imminent?” I told her that my wife was 5 cm dilated and contractions were five minutes apart. She said, “I hope you make it.” I told her I did, too. I called my next door neighbor from back home in lower Alabama and he began to drive north toward Fort Benning as my roommate drove me toward home. As we reached the city outside of Fort Benning, my wife called to say that she was about to have the epidural. I didn’t think I would make it in time. We met up with my neighbor somewhere on the road halfway between Fort Benning and home. I got in the car with my neighbor as we sped (105 mph) back toward the south. Still in my desert uniform, I hoped that any trooper who pulled us over would be sympathetic to my plight. Over the course of several phone calls to my wife, I realized that I still had a chance to get to the hospital on time. We screeched into the hospital parking lot and I scurried to the second floor of the hospital. As I burst through the double doors into the maternity ward, the nurses at the counter applauded. It seems news of my arrival had spread. I walked into my wife’s room and saw the relief in her eyes. Less than two hours from that point, my daughter was born. Unfortunately, 96 hours later, I was back on my way to Fort Benning and in less than two weeks, was on a plane to Kuwait where I would spend the next nine months before seeing her again. I still tear up every time I recall this story. Happy Birthday, baby girl.
That's a neat story Major. Hang on to it so that when she turns sixteen you can refer back and remember how much you wanted kids.
rock on, man.. that's cool. i wish i had a happy story like that for the birth of my daughter, who is also 4. write that story down, and be sure to tell it to her every year. happy day to you three
heh maj..... one of my highschool teaachers was a reservist general, now he's retired from teaching and is a full blow reg force brig general.... anywhooo..... he has a pair of twin girls, one of his girls had a date coming over to the house to pick her up, so Mr. Young answers the door in full uniform, madals polished and all, he takes the young lad into the basement with no conversation...... he gestures to the case mounted on his basement wall and says "These are my guns, have her home by ten." .... the story was told by his wife, the school librarian.... amazing guy
That's a nice story Major. I used to read readers digest cover to cover years ago. You could type that up and you know put in a little more detail basically start earlier and end later and submit it. I bet you they would publish it. I'm not kidding it's "chicken soup for the soul" kind of stuff that people like to hear they do all the time.
Yeah, I could go into more detail and provide pictures but I tried to keep it short enough to sustain the Fugly attention span while not being overly vulnerable. How about I embellish where my newborn daughter looked up at me and raised her tiny hand in a salute before I departed. Meanwhile, my older daughter waved a flag and the gynecologist hummed the National Anthem.
Your moment was absolutely spectacufuckinglar, but i can't help if this is the only thread where i could find anything to giggle at.
It's not exactly a target-rich environment as of late so I understand. But, come on, wouldn't my story otherwise have touched your heart (hypothetically speaking, of course)?
you can kiss my ass, nursey - i'm in a great mood and i am not going to let you ruin it! in fact, i'm sending you big, rainbow-hippy-sunshine kisses your way :-*
Hypothetically speaking, it was so touching i'm going to nominate you for the Ricki Lake father's day special! I see the meds have kicked in then.
