The Day The Earth Stood Still

September 11, 2001 changed the world and it changed our lives.

When DH's subway car was stuck between stops, he thought little of it. This happens frequently in New York and he had plenty of time. When he emerged from underground, he realized it would be no ordinary day.

All he could find out was that there had been an explosion, possibly a crash, at one of the World Trade Center Towers, a few cross town blocks away. So, he went to work. A side note--why do men walk towards danger?

When he got to work, the second plane had hit and the office told everyone to go home. DH was walking the 50 or so blocks home when the first tower fell. Covered with debris, he continued to walk North.

Meanwhile, I was up in Westchester, teaching a class. When the class finished, another teacher informed me of the morning's events. I watched the first tower fall on TV and realized that I didn't know which subway line my husband took to work. For hours, I waited for his phone call. I continued to teach but kept my cell phone nearby. My students asked, "Do you know anyone downtown?" I said that I knew several people and that my husband worked in the area. They asked why I was still here and I responded that since I couldn't do anything to help him right now, my place was with them. Then, the phone rang--a 212 (NYC) area code!

DH called me on a pay phone to reassure me that he was okay and I passed the word onto his parents. The trains into Manhattan were cancelled so I stayed with my parents that night. DH called that afternoon to tell me he had reached the apartment and changed his clothes--and was heading back downtown!

DH was determined to help in the relief efforts. He walked from site to site, offering to help. Finally he ended up at Chelsea Piers helping the doctors who were working triage.

I believe that night he became more determined to serve his country in the Army. Throughout college and law school he had explored serving in ROTC but neither campus offered that option; traveling to another campus would have taken over his schedule. When he stopped raising the subject, I thought the time for him to sign up for active duty had passed. Now I realize he had never let go of the idea.

DH might have joined the Army anyway, or signed-up for the reserves, but the events of 9/11 made certain that the Armed Forces would be our path.

Begin at the beginning...

Trying to remember how our Army Days all began brings back many memories.

First, a little background: My Dearest Husband (DH) and I met at Yale but did not begin to date until after college. At first, I was not sure he was my type--but he was very certain he was! As usual, he was right.

As we fell in love, we talked a lot about the future and our convictions. DH was going to Harvard Law and I was thinking about pursuing acting. Sometime around August, as we cruised around the Mediterranean, DH convinced me to give my interest in teaching a fair chance. While DH went to Cambridge, I accepted a job as a middle school aide and applied to the Harvard Graduate School of Education. By February, DH asked me to marry him (kneeling, in a tux, on the streets of New Haven, with his class ring as a stand-in). We officially became engaged that summer (this time he placed a beautiful heirloom from his great grandmother in a silver goblet) and I joined him in Cambridge to get my M.Ed.

With degrees in hand, we returned to New York to begin our respective careers. DH worked for one of the most respected NYC law firms and had been accepted for a clerkship with a federal judge...an auspicious beginning.

On the second day of DH's first year at the firm, his subway car stopped. He emerged to find chaos on the city streets (more than usual). The day was September 11, 2001.

A Journey

Welcome!

I was writing a political blog and noticed that a lot of people who came to my blog were looking for information on the military lifestyle. Also, I know I want to keep a blog while my husband is deployed. So, I've started this new blog. I'm going record my experiences as an Army Wife starting with my husband's decision to enlist and his entry into Basic Training in September of '03 all the way through our experiences with Officer Candidate School (OCS), Field Artillery Officer Basic Course (OBC), and our first Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to Ft. Hood. Expect an update every one to two weeks.

By the time I catch up, my dearest husband will likely be at the National Training Center, preparing for deployment to Iraq. Then the blog will switch to current "diary entries" and will have more frequent updates, perhaps once a day.

Hope you enjoy.

- Army Artillery Wife