Ft. Sam Houston

Today the kids and I went to San Antonio to see The Great as Brad is still out of town and now not coming back until Friday instead of Wednesday, Ugh. The Great took us to Ft. Sam Houston, an army base, where they were having a festival to kick off Fiesta in SA. The festival was great. Aubrey had some strawberry-banana smooties and she jumped in a jupiter jump. They had great music, there was the Airborne Group that sang and Aubrey liked the Mariachis and the Spanish dancing girls. We also went to the PX and she bought us some bathing suits. Sorry I forgot my camera, so no pics.

I remember going to Ft. Sam every time we went to SA when I was little. I have great memories of going to the Quadrangle (the original Square fort of Ft. Sam) to pet and feed the live animals. The had the sweetest tamest deer and bunnies. Also the most beautiful peacocks. Once a goat kicked one of us kids, I can't remember it was either me or my brother John. We would go to the Officer's Club on Sunday mornings for brunch and I remember thinking that my sister Chrissy and I felt so grown up going to Brunch and all. My Grandmother always took us shopping at the PX. Once we were walking into the PX and my brother John was like 7 or so and he saw a soldier dressed in his camos. John screamed "Look Mom, it's G.I. Joe!"

Well today I saw G.I. Joe again but he wasn't in his camos. After all the festivites we went over to the Commissary so The Great could grab some milk & juice (for tea parties with Bree of course). Beck & I stayed in the car and I fed him. There was a brand new Expedition parked in front of us and I saw a young man get out of the front seat to get something out of the backseat. He was really tall and dressed in basketball short and a tank top but underneath he had on spandex pants and a long sleeved shirt and his arm was all bandaged and in a sling. He was severely burned, you could tell that he had had several skin graphs, he had very little hair on his head, no eyebrows or eyelashes and barely had eye lids. I saw him sitting in the car waiting for someone that was shopping inside and then I noticed that his mom was returning also with her groceries. His mom was hispanic and it occured to me that he was so badly burned you could not even tell what ethinicity that he was. When The Great & Aubrey got back I got out the the car and I buckled Aubrey into her carseat. The young man and his mom were just about to back out of the parking spot and I felt compelled to go over to them. I gently knocked on his window and he rolled it down. I said "Sorry to bother you but I just had to tell you Thank you for your SERVICE." He and his mom just shook their heads as to say thanks and I walked away.

It doesn't matter your politics or if you agree with the war or not but these soliders give us so many freedoms that we take for granted everyday. I can't imagine the bravery that it takes to be an American Solider. I really admire them.