My Cold War Years (Part Seven): Going On Leave
- Tracy's Thoughts
- Jan 12, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 16, 2019
In December 1982, the song "Christmas In Dixie" by American country band Alabama was released as a single. It is a celebration of Christmas in southeastern American states. I had only been away from home since June of that year and in the state of South Dakota since September then. But this song certainly made me think about my "Sweet Home Alabama" and no matter where I lay my head, I will always be Southern born and Southern bred. Just a little bit of a musical mix up there I know. During my 6 years at Ellsworth I only went home to Alabama on leave twice. Each time though was for a full 30 days.
My first trip was for the Christmas season in 1983. I had been out in the field for my 3 and half day tour and on the day we tripped back in to base it had started snowing. By the time I got back to my apartment in Rapid City the snow was falling harder. I had previously packed my bags for the trip home before going out in the field for duty. That way all I'd have to do is change clothes, throw my belongings into my car and take off. Now I had already been up for more than 12 hours by the time I got to my apartment but I left Rapid City as soon as I could and drove the 300 or so miles across the state of South Dakota to the city of Sioux Falls. Stopping from time to time for gas, food and to stretch my legs. Then I headed south to Kansas City, MO then east to St. Louis.
Somewhere in between those two cities I began to get very tired and was dangerously close to running off the road. I found a Rest Area and pulled into a parking area. I let my seat back, covered up with blanket, had an alarm clock set it for about two hours. I figured that a two hour nap, after being up for probably close to 20 hours by now would be good enough. I quickly fell asleep, but when I woke up and looked at the clock, I wondered how the heck could I have slept through that LOUD alarm ringing. Then I realized that I had only been asleep for 15 minutes! But I felt rested enough, so it was on the road again and other than those further quick stops for gas, food and to stretch my legs I didn't really rest until I made it all the way home back to Arab. I remember stopping at a place somewhere near Paducah, Kentucky. When I had paid for my stuff, I turned to walk out of the store and then I heard it. A voice say, "Thank ya' an' come back now". I now knew that I was back in the South again! On most all of my previous stops the Clerk would just look at me, take my money and never say a word. Also as I had neared that stop in Kentucky was about the same time I noticed there wasn't anymore snow covering the ground too. When I was at home back then it seemed as if I was always on the road traveling back and forth visiting other family and friends.
The second trip back to Alabama was just as busy as that first one with me going back and forth all the time. There was also once when I had taken a week of leave to visit some friends from Alabama that were then living in Davenport, Iowa. I took some other shorter periods of leave, a couple of days here, a couple of days there, where I didn't go off anywhere, I just enjoyed some time off by myself. Upon my Discharge I ended up selling back 56 days of leave. That was a pretty nice chunk of change, almost two months worth of pay!
While my time served was during peacetime and I was stationed stateside the entire 6 years, I did only make it home twice during then. I have very fond memories of that first trip home where I got to spend it with my family for Christmas. My Mother had tied several yellow ribbons on the front porch. It was truly a welcoming sight. These days I think of all of those Men and Women who are serving around the world and the many holidays and other special times that they have been away from their families. Some of them are serving in dangerous places and at times may worry if they will ever see their families again.
I'm sure most, if not all, have heard of R.E.D. Friday's. According to an article from the Military(dot)com Network dated October 22, 2018 it tells of two competing origin stories of the unofficial trend of wearing red on Friday's. It reads, in part, "It's a tiny act that means much more than people seem to realize. On Fridays, civilians back home wear an article of red clothing, a shirt, a tie, anything, as a reminder to all to Remember Everyone Deployed. These Fridays became known as R.E.D. Friday." I love seeing so many people showing their support by doing this!
[NOTE: This is Part 7 of a 10-Part series of stories about some of my memories of when I was in the US Air Force from 1982 to 1988 and stationed at Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City, South Dakota.]
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