When American Sniper came out last fall, I wanted to see it, but wasn't sure I could handle it's intensity. I have lots of friends in the military, live in a military community, and worked in a job where I was involved in the local base (Fort Riley, KS) and traveled to military bases across the United States. Those experiences changed the way I see the world forever. I'll share a few of the experiences that most changed me.
One of the posts I traveled to was Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. It is home to the 2nd largest military hospital in the U.S., San Antonio Military Medical Center formerly Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). I hadn't thought of what that would mean for my trip, but I sure did learn. Lots of companies were there for the career fair I was at representing my employer and among the masses of Soldiers attending were many Soldiers who were amputees missing one or two limbs or had disfiguring burns across their whole bodies. They were there shaking hands and looking for employment like everyone else. Seeing their injuries and children there with them tugged at my heart. They weren't at home wallowing in sorrow, like I knew I would be doing if I'd been in their shoes. They were resilient. I swelled with pride in the strength of our Soldiers and I grew more as a person that day as my gratitude for their sacrifice grew as well.
As a member of the community, my company was invited to attend all kinds of military ceremonies at Fort Riley: change of command, deployment, redeployment, casing of colors, and memorials to name a few. I attended dozens of ceremonies during my 5.5 years at that job. Of all the ceremonies I attended two types of ceremonies most changed me; redeployment and memorials.
I first attended a redeployment ceremony as a community member and observer. They often were at the craziest times like 4am, but I wanted to experience them. For me the experience was in a way indescribable. Entering the large, sterile gym anticipation was so thick in the air you could almost taste it, people were fidgety waiting for their loved ones to finally arrive after a long deployment and restless children cried, many of whom hadn't been born when their fathers had deployed. The wait for the Soldiers to finally arrived felt like forever. Though I didn't know a soul returning, I was filled with anticipation for them. The Soldiers file into formation, families frantically search the nearly identical rows of uniformed Soldiers for their loved ones. The commander speaks for a few minutes, which feels like hours to the restless crowd. Then he releases the Soldiers and the search begins. Fathers meet their babies for the first time, families laugh and cry, the experience and emotions are unforgettable.
Just two years ago, I attended another redeployment ceremony. This time, I knew someone coming back. One of my good friends was returning from a year in Afghanistan. Every parking lot within a 1/4 mile of the gym was packed along with all streets. Snow was on the ground. The gym was packed to the brim. I stood in a hoard of people near the entrance and couldn't see a thing. I again felt the anticipation and emotion of it all. Babies cried, people strained to see a glimpse of their loved one, and with the anticipation of it all I teared up. Once the Soldiers were dismissed, I worked through the crowd to try to find my friend and her parents. I made it just in time to see my friend's dad find her. The emotion on his face as he hugged her struck my heart.
The one ceremony to most effect me were the memorials. My coworker briefed me of some of the emotional parts of the ceremony, but no words could ever have properly prepared me. We stepped into a beautiful chapel on post and sat in a pew towards the back. Fellow Soldiers shared their memories of their departed friends. After that,things happened in an order I can't quite remember. A lone trumpet played the always emotional "Taps." Next was roll call, it was much more devastating then even I had been able to imagine. The First Sergeant begins roll call, calling the rank and last name of Soldiers in the company ex) "Sgt. Smith." Sgt. Smith answers back, "here, First Sergeant." Roll call continues with the First Sergeant calling out the the rank and last name of several Soldiers, they in turn answer back, "here First Sergeant." Then he comes to the deceased Soldier. He calls their rank and last name. The silence is deafening. All you want is for that Soldier to be able to answer back. The First Sergeant then continues calling the deceased Soldier's rank, first name, and last name. The silence continues on for what feels like forever as your heart breaks. A final time the First Sergeant calls out the rank, first name, middle name, and last name of the the deceased Soldier into silence that makes me cry to even think about it. Into the silence, outside the chapel you hear the 21-gun salute. It feels like it comes out of nowhere and literally jolts you. The room is full of unbearable sorrow. The following video captures in a small way what the memorial was like. I will say, it's not for the faint of heart and brought back all the emotions I felt that day over 8 years ago. I hope even in a small way that it helps you and I realize the depth of sacrifice of our outstanding military. I feel that every American should attend a military memorial to better understand the sacrifice and the gift of our freedom, which is far from free.
Seeing American Sniper brought back some of my memories back. I thought the movie would feature lots of fight scenes, but it really focused on Chris Kyles' relationships with his family and friends. His skill as a sniper was unbelievable and saved so many lives. In the end, it reminded me of the strength and sacrifice of our military. In addition, it made me proud to be an American. The movie ended so sadly, but it made me thankful for people like Chris Kyle and it brought the important issue of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) back into people's minds. It's real and it's crippling even for the strongest of people. I've had friends who've battled it. We definitely need to address the hard issues and help our Soldiers heal. God bless America!
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