Went to Jack Quinn’s the other night. It is the second or third time I have had dinner and drinks there. As you may guess it is an Irish pub. If you go, I am told the Shepperd’s pie is very good. I had the beef pot pie. We listened to a good three-man band. I tend to enjoy this place because this is where my son wants to go when we are both in Colorado Springs at the same time.
If you are among the follows of my ramblings, you will recall that last April, I made this same trip to pick up some of the kid’s stuff and to wish him well before he deployed from Fort Carson for Afghanistan. It has been a long nine months between these two trips but he made it back to Fort Carson last week. The Princess and I were there to greet him. We left the Midwest early one Monday and 13 hours and 20 minutes later we were in the ‘Springs enjoying the 50-degree January evening while all of my friends back home were enjoying the below zero temps. This trip we camped in the Hampton Inn close to the base.
I have spent very little time on military bases and only as a visitor. I am amazed at the size of Fort Carson, 137,000 acres originally built in 1942. I was also surprised that it is actually a large city in itself. We saw several schools, healthcare clinics, veterinary clinic and lots of housing. Plus, a lot of churches, a few gas stations and fast food restaurants. There quite a few soldiers, about 23,000, supported by another 12,000 contractors. Everyone drives at or below the speed limit and comes to complete stops. The rules seem to be important on a military base. The Princess reminded me several times that I also needed to follow the rules. It was tough, but as is my nature, I obeyed her commands.
The welcome ceremony was held in the Special Events Building that was probably a small gym in a past life. The old bleachers were filled with a few older parents, a lot of wives and some husbands waiting for their significant others to march in. Homemade “Welcome Home” signs were everywhere. Many very small children played on the hardwood floor chasing balls and balloons while a brass band kept the adults distracted from the wait. Little girls were dressed up in party dresses with big bows in their hair. Little boys had their hair perfectly in place. A few toddlers waddled around, clearly having just learned to walk. Some children were so young that they had not yet met their deployed father.
We were so impressed with the resilience of these families and the sacrifice they also make to support our military.
The ceremony was short.
As the soldiers were dismissed, everyone filled the gym floor looking for their family. A lot of tears and smiles all around. Hugs went on for quite a spell. Many uniformed soldiers carried small children with them as they left the building. The Princess and I had found a seat high up in the bleachers and we both felt our age as we tried to hop from row to row down to the bottom in order to find our son among all of the other soldiers. Fortunately, he found us first.
Dennis and Sherrie
