First Visit at OSUT

Mom's First Sighting of Chris

Chris left on 13 August. His Mom then started a calendar marking down the 100 days until she would see him on 21 November at his Turning Blue Ceremony. Mom and Dad arrived around noon on Tuesday, 19 November. After stopping in at Mom's niece, Jessi, the three rode out to the little PX on Sand Hill. (Sand Hill is where the training takes place.) Jessi said that this PX had better souvenirs and we needed to buy them before the other families arrived. While the women were perusing through souvenirs, Dad spotted soldiers lining up for the barber shop. He put 2 and 2 together and suspected that this was the graduating companies being given time off to get a last minute haircut. As everyone was leaving Jessie made a joke by saying there he is. (She really was joking.) Mom asked Dad what he thought and Dad replied that he thought that there was a good chance that they would see Chris that day. Then Dad looked over at an ATM machine about 50 yards away and said that the guy standing there looked alot like Chris. Mom looked and said that it sure did look like him. Suddenly the guy turned, looked, recognized, and then threw up his arms and started grinning. Mom whooped, threw her purse on the ground, took off running, and took a "flying leap" at her baby. Chris caught her because he was expecting it and had braced himself for the onslaught.

Mom and Dad spent the next two hours with Chris before he had to return to the barracks. Mom even stayed in line while he was waiting for his "high and tight" haircut. The barber offered to jump Chris to the head of the line but Mom opted to just stand there for even longer.

Mom was much calmer during the ensuing time until Turning Blue and Graduation.
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