Errands and Strangers

Today, we went to Lackland AFB to pick up a prescription for Dick and one for me.  We went to the base exchange (BX) to pick out cards for family members.  Then, we split a Cinnabon and a diet Coke.  The BX and food court were full of parents, families and what is know as "slick sleeve" airmen.  "Slick sleeve" means they have not made any rank, yet.  They all looked so very young!  As I sat there enjoying my half of the Cinnabon and coke, I thought to myself, "I wonder how many of these young kids will end up in Afghanistan/Iraq?"

Dick decided he would go look at the many booths outside the BX for a new Air Force hat as his old hat  is pretty grimy.  We found him a new hat and bought some more patriotic stickers for Dixie. 

We have been looking for a 12x18 inch USAF flag on a dowel to fly on the front of Dixie when we are parked.  You see, when staying at a military RV park just about everyone flies 3 flags.  We purchased a flag holder that sticks to the windshield at Camping World.  The holder has slots for 3 flags on dowels.  We have been able to find a U.S. flag and a Texas flag but were having a hard time finding the USAF flag.  The lady who had the booth that Dick bought his hat from suggested another booth.  We wandered over there and   finally found our USAF flag.

While standing in line waiting to pay for the flag, a middle aged woman started talking to us.  She was from Alabama.  She had  traveled to Lackland AFB for the graduation from basic training of her son.  She was asking where we were going to fly the Air Force flag.  We explained to her what is in the above paragraph.  She started talking to us about her son who had graduated from basic training and the Air Force.

She told us the story of her 23 year old son who had tried collage and that did not work out.  Then, she went on to say, he had a "go no where job" with an expensive car payment.  She stated her son's grandfather had been in the USAF and her son had decided to enlist.  She stated that she would be all right with his decision to enlist but there was a war and she was worried about her son (as all mothers would be).  I started to feel like I was going to tear up as she was talking to us.  I kept saying to myself "Don't cry, Joan".  What kind of advice can you say to a stranger who was worried about her son?  She talked with much hesitation about how she had allowed her 23 year old son to make an "adult decision" but you could definitely hear in her voice that she was questioning her decision and perhaps she should have tried harder to talk him out of his decision.  I will keep her and her son in my thoughts and hope that her son returns with no physical or mental impairments if called upon to serve in Afghanistan/Iraq.

On the way out of the BX I saw a man dressed in green fatiques with a patch on his right pocket with the words Afghanistan.  He was with two other men who were dressed in civilian clothes but appeared to be from a middle eastern country.  I wondered what do these men think of America?  Will they grow to love America?  Will they see the good that America has done for countries like theirs who do not live with all the freedoms we have?  I hope everyone they meet while in America will show them kindness and try not to be prejudice.  I hope they will return to their country with hope for their nation in their hearts and kind words about America and it people.