"Taking Chance"

I watched this movie last night.

Reason No. 1 - I'm the mother of a Marine.

Reason No. 2 - I love Kevin Bacon.

All I can say is, if you have access to cable and have HBO - don't miss this movie.

It will make you PROUD!

http://

January 2003

Looking at these photos makes me feel old. It's been six years and yet it seems like just a short time ago - January 25, 2003. From the day his unit was activated, we had one short week to come to the realization that our son was heading off to war. One week to get his affairs in order - Power of Attorney, Last Will and Testament. On September 11, 2001, I knew in my soul that this day would come - but I was never prepared for the emotional toll it would take on all of our lives, and how I would come to lean on my family and friends more than ever. On this morning, all of the families met at the South Bend Armory to say "good-bye". TV stations were there, doing interviews.

Lots of photos were taken and lots of tears were shed. Our family did receive a short "reprieve". While most of the unit flew out on this day, the commanding officer and a select few remained behind for a few more days to make sure that all the heavy equipment was loaded correctly. This small group flew out on Monday morning. Chrissie had gone back to college and Kevin and Kelli had gone on to school (at Bobby's request). Bob and I, along with Carrie and Katie and Colleen went to the Armory on Monday morning to say "good-bye". Unlike Saturday - when it had been packed with news crews and families and Marines, on this morning, it was just us - two parents, three sisters and one soldier. I remember standing there for a few minutes, making small talk - no one wanting to make the first move. And then Bob pulled Bobby into his arms and hugged him. I remember all of us in one giant group hug, with tears flowing and prayers being said. And then he walked away.

I sat in my car and watched as the van pulled away to take him to the airport. I sat in my car and cried and then I got myself together and went to work and tried to keep my life as normal as possible for the next six months - until he walked back into our arms.

Don't Forget.....

Today is Veteran's Day.

My Dad - World War II (South Pacific) - United States Navy

Bob's Dad - Korean War - United States Army

Our Son - Operation Iraqi Freedom - United States Marine Corp

Thank a Veteran for your freedom.

Special Surprise

Prior to Bobby's birthday celebration, our friends Mel and Louie had gone out to dinner with some of their Marine Corp friends. They just happened to mention that they were going out afterward to celebrate Bobby's birthday and listen to his dad's band. The Marines came along for the fun. It was a great surprise for Bobby and I got a little teary when I saw them embrace each other. At the time they served together in Iraq, Bobby was a Corporal and eventually a Sergeant, and these two were Gunnery Sergeants in his unit. I'm sure they will always share a bond that most of us will never understand.

Remembering....

Today, many of us think back - and remember. Our world, as we knew it changed forever on that day. We can never go back.

Yesterday our office computers were down for a few hours and I spent the time cleaning out my desk. I came across a photo and I thought that it was ironic that I found it at this time. This photo was taken on September 13, 2001 - two days after we were attacked. As the mother of a Marine, I knew that even though he had enlisted during a time of peace, he would eventually go to war for his country - and he did, a year and a half later.

My soldier returned home safely to the family and friends that loved him. Many did not. On this anniversary, I remember and I pray for those lost on September 11th and those lost fighting for our freedom each and every day since.

Five Years....

It's been five years this month and yet I remember the details of the day like it was yesterday. One of those events that's etched in your mind for a lifetime. Five years - all that time and so many thousands of families who's lives have changed forever. For us, it was six months of sleepless nights, praying for that phone call at 3 a.m. from the other side of the world, and then laying there crying when the satellite would shift and the phone call dropped after only a few seconds. Our friends and family rallied around us and we got through - thanks in great part to a local embedded reporter from the South Bend Tribune - a former Marine who requested to be assigned to our unit. In retrospect, we were lucky - he left and returned home within a span of six months. I doubt that he considers it "lucky". He was there at the beginning - the early days - no email, minimum communication with the rest of the world - no showers for weeks, sand in his food and a tent on the desert floor. I'll never forget his words when he called me from California six months later - as he stepped off the plane - "MOM - I'm home - and there's a cool breeze and green grass everwhere!!" One of the things he told us he'd never take for granted again - "a porcelain toilet seat".

Worth the Wait!!!

The Marines of Company B came home on Saturday, amidst cheers, hugs and plenty of tears. Bobby met up with several of his friends from his first tour, along with Gunnery Sgt. Santos.



A red carpet was laid out, a high school band played the Marine Corp Hymm and the crowd's excitement was hard to contain.



Then the loud speaker announced that they were all on the buses and had left the airport with a police escort.

The greatest moment was hearing those sirens in the distance and then seeing those buses pull up with "Welcome Home MARINES" across the front of the bus. (And then, the batteries ran out on my camera).

Seeing my friend Mel reunite with her son brought on the tears and the memories. When he hugged me and said in my ear, "I can't believe you came" - I told him, "Honey, I wouldn't be anywhere else".

One More Day

....and they'll be home!!!!

I know that their families have to be on pins and needles today. God - how I remember this day four years ago!!!





http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/6660307.html?video=YHI

Coming Home....

The Marines from Bobby's unit are back on U.S. soil. My good friend Melody's son is a Sgt. in this unit on his second tour and I took her to lunch on Monday to celebrate the fact that they had left Iraq. I've just watched the news video of them coming off the plane in California and I'm sitting at my desk with tears running down my face. GOSH - does this bring back memories from 4 years ago!!!! (The big difference this time is that they lost one to sniper fire. How hard this must be for his parents to watch this video).

Our family and of course Bobby, plan to be there on Saturday to welcome Mel's son home, along with all the Marines of Company B.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/6603152.html?video=YHI

...and here's some video of my friend, Mel - speaking from a mom's point of view.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/6599677.html?video=YHI

Great News!!!

The Marines of Company B are in the air - on their way back to California after 7+ months in Iraq. They should be home - here in South Bend on Saturday!!!

Remembering back four years and the tears come easily!

Does It Get Much Sadder Than This?

I thank God every day that my son came home safely.

I pray every day for the safe return of Sgt. J. T. Lee - the son of my dear friend Melody.

...and I pray every day for the family of Cpl. Aaron Seal.

Sad News...

I can't say it's ever happened where I've actually learned news before the television and newspapers are reporting it. My friend Melody is a KVA (Key Volunteer Associate) for the local Marine Unit currently serving in Iraq. I served in this same capacity three years ago while Bobby was serving with this unit. Our job was to receive important information and relay facts and details to family members. At 9:00 last night, Melody called to tell me that a member of this unit was killed yesterday in Iraq by sniper fire. It's the first casualty in two tours for the Marines of Compay B. When I called Bobby to give him the news, he never said a word - just silence.

It was released by the Tribune - online about an hour ago. I'm sure the news medias will be reporting at the Noon hour.

Please pray for the soul of Marine Cpl. Aaron Seal of Elkhart, Indiana and for the family he leaves behind.

A Tough Day....

Three years ago, our family struggled to say "goodbye" to Bobby as his unit headed to Iraq at the beginning of the war. A year and a half ago, Sgt. Bobby Knight chose not to re-enlist after a 6-year service. I remember him telling us that he knew if he re-enlisted, he'd end up going back.



Today, his unit leaves for Camp Pendleton and eventually back to Iraq. They won't be home until next May.

Even though this doesn't involve my son, the feelings from that morning three years ago are hard to shake. On top of that, my dear friend Melody has a son who is going back for the second time. Our kids have grown up together and J.T. joined the Marines a couple of years after Bobby. His six years isn't up yet - and he's going back. I was on the phone with her early this morning - we shared tears. She has a wonderful husband and family support group - but no one understands like another mom who's been there. Please keep Sgt. J.T. Lee and the rest of the Marines of Company B in your prayers for the next year....and every now and then, please say a little prayer for their moms.

Has It Really Been Three Years?

Found this in my "archives" and can't believe it's really been three years. When I look back on that time of our lives, it all seems like a blur...


This Knight Looked Like He Was Wearing Shining Armor

COMMENTARY By BILL MOOR South Bend Tribune Columnist

U.S. Marine Bobby Knight of South Bend has plenty of support just from his family. In front are Kelli and Kevin. From the left on the couch are Katie, Carrie (Urbanski) holding Nolan, Patty, Bob and Colleen. Another sister, Chrissie, is away at college. Tribune Photo/DAVE WITHAM

Yellow ribbons are tied around the flowering plum tree in Bob and Patty Knight's front yard ... an American flag hangs from their garage ... and a care package already is assembled atop the kitchen counter in the Knights' South Bend home.Their pride swells; their hearts hurt."How can something that makes you feel so proud also make you feel so bad," Patty asks.She is the mother of seven Knights, including one in shining armor. Or at least that is how her son Bobby looked to her last week when he bid his family farewell in his United States Marine uniform."All we know at this point is that he is at Camp Pendleton in California and that his unit will soon be heading to somewhere in the Middle East," Patty says.

Bobby Knight -- yes, he heard all the "General" jokes about his name back in boot camp -- is a member of the Marine Corps Reserves Engineer Company B of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion. The South Bend-based unit was activated for up to a year a few weeks ago as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.Bobby, 25, is a graduate of LaSalle High School, a delivery truck driver for Bonnie Doon Ice Cream and a former volunteer basketball coach at Corpus Christi, his old grade school in South Bend.He could be the kid next door to any of us. Yet he may soon be up on the front line -- or clearing the way for the front line -- in our next war.

His five sisters -- 27-year-old Carrie Urbanski, 23-year-old twins Katie and Colleen, 19-year-old Chrissie and 10-year-old Kelli -- along with kid brother Kevin, 15, all keep him in their prayers."He told me I shouldn't be scared for him," says little Kelli, a fifth-grader at Corpus Christi. "I am trying not to be.""If the others in the military are like Bobby, then we are in very good hands," says Carrie, a fourth-grade teacher at Monroe Elementary School.

Bobby Knight loves being a Marine, while serving as a heavy-equipment operator for his engineering unit. "They kiddingly call themselves 'Uncle Sam's Construction Company,''' his mother says.During past summer camps, he and his comrades have been to El Salvador to build a medical facility, to Honduras to build a school and to South Korea last summer to build roads and get their taste of combat training."I think the Marines have given Bobby a new direction in life," his father says."It definitely has changed him," Patty adds. "He has gone to these countries and has seen people with nothing but still be as happy as can be. So when he goes back to his own house and sees all the things he has, I think it makes him appreciate it even more."And want to help more, too.Even on the homefront.

When his sisters need a hand, he becomes the go-to guy after they call. And now he is answering his country's call."They actually told him back in July not to make plans for the holidays," Patty says. "So we were very grateful to have him through Christmas and New Year's."I do know he is ready," she continues. "Four years ago, when he went off to boot camp, he admitted he was scared to death. But not now. He says he knows that he and his unit can do the job."His family is in awe of his resolve and how the Marines have helped mold him into a man.A few weeks before Christmas, Bobby and two other Marines came to his sister Carrie's classroom at Monroe to pick up presents that her students had brought in for the Toys for Tots campaign. She could hardly believe that this was the kid brother who used to pull her hair.

In 10-year-old Kelli Knight's fifth-grade class at Corpus Christi, they already have written letters to Bobby."What makes that even more special is that the teacher, Mrs. (Janet) Pethick, also was Bobby's fifth-grade teacher," Patty says.Like many other young men and women in the military, Bobby Knight has his support group back on the home front.Godspeed to all of them.Bobby left South Bend last week with homemade blueberry muffins in one hand and a rosary from his youngest sister in his other.His mother nods. "Family and faith -- that's how we will get though this next year."

A Man in Uniform...

There's just something about a man in uniform.

Our son's "uniform days" began over six years ago when he anounced to us that he had joined the United States Marines. It was a relatively peaceful time in our country and I was proud that he had chosen a direction in his life. His early years in the Corp took him to many world locations, including Korea and Joint Humanitarian Efforts in El Salvador and Honduras.

I never felt ill-at-ease with his military decision. After all, we were living in a relatively peaceful time. My feelings of peace and security ended on September 11, 2001. I remember as I watched the initial news reports, I didn't want to call and wake him up (since he worked nights). Once the second tower was hit, I picked up the phone and made the call. He was already awake and watching the news. As the day went on, I remember asking him, "What will this mean for you?" His response to me was, "I'm not afraid mom - I'll do what I'm instructed to do". I asked him if that was him talking or the Marine Corp, and he said, "There's no difference."

Over the next year, we watched and waited as our country prepared for war. Even though I prayed for another solution, I knew it was inevitible.

In January of 2003, we stood together as a family and said our good-byes as his unit prepared to leave for the Middle East. A week later, we received a phone call from Bobby in California - telling us that this would be his last phone call for an unknown length of time. Even though he wasn't able to come out and say it, we knew that meant that were leaving U.S. soil within the next few hours.

It was more than a month before the first letter arrived.






Over the next six months, we received three phone calls - most of the calls coming in the middle of the night, due to the 11 hour time difference. All of my life, I always dreaded a ringing phone in the middle of the night. At this time, I lived for those 3 a.m. phone calls.

Six months later, every member of his unit returned home safely. It was the greatest night of my life - having him step off that bus and into our arms. Tears flowed freely. The most touching sight was Bobby and his father - hugging and crying. Even now - two years later, that video makes me cry.

He doesn't talk much of his time in Iraq - no war stories. He does talk about the children and about the living conditions of the Iraqi people. Mostly, he talks about the things here that he'll never take for granted again - a bed to sleep in and a porcelain toilet seat.

My son is home - sleeping safely in his bed. I'm proud of his committment to the Corp and his Country, but I continue to pray every night for the thousands of mothers who are waiting for that letter, the middle of the night phone call, and that tearful reunion.

God Bless the men and women of the United States Military!