THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 11, 1994 TAG: 9409090083
SECTION: HAMPTON ROADS WOMAN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: MARRIED TO THE NAVY
SOURCE: MARY MAHONEY
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
LIKE MANY, I have been watching the Guantanamo Bay saga of the Cuban refugees unfold. Each time I read the newspaper or watch the TV news, I recall memories of the time my family and I spent there.
In 1985, my husband accepted orders to the naval base in Guantanamo, arriving that August. Chivon and I remained behind in the States until housing became available. Two months later we joined him, moving into a single-family home.
My daughter and I were thrilled to be reunited with our sailor. Bill showed us to our home, and we were elated. We considered ourselves very fortunate.
It did not take long to feel like members of this little community. Everyone we met made us feel welcome. However, it did take some time to become accustomed to the limited creature comforts there.
Like television. There was only Armed Forces television to view. Programming consisted of reruns of shows that had been off the air in the United States for many years. (Old episodes of ``Mannix'' became a favorite of ours.) We became avid video renters.
The base newspaper was only two pages, filled primarily with base happenings. And the commissary was very tiny. Thursday mornings became known as produce morning. I was always prepared to stand in long lines for a fresh head of lettuce.
The sense of community on the base made up for all the little inconveniences. The friends we made became our family. We always felt safe there.
As I watch the recent turn of events, I am sympathetic to the military dependents, who in what seems like a moment's notice, have been uprooted and evacuated from their homes. At one time or another in our sailors' careers, we have all felt displaced. But this is the extreme.
While living at Guantanamo, we had practice evacuations, never expecting to actually leave. We were told to keep a suitcase with essentials and important documents by our door. We boarded buses and took the ferry to the air terminal. But we never left.
In the past several years, many people have lost faith in the Armed Forces' ability to help its members and dependents in a crisis. I applaud our Armed Forces for their current assistance to the military dependents upon their arrival in Norfolk after evacuating the base in Cuba. They are trying to make the transition stateside as uncomplicated and stress-free as possible.
Life is not always easy when you are the dependent of a military member. I do not view military life through rose-colored glasses. I, too, have had my share of difficult times during the course of my sailor's career. I have come to realize through the years that to endure, there are certain things that must be done. I must take it as it comes, always expect the unexpected and never blame my sailor. I have learned to grit my teeth, force a smile, deal with it and move on. MEMO: Mary Mahoney writes a monthly column about military life. by CNB