Space A Travel, September 2013
Travel by Space A military Stand-by is proving to be a challenge, yesterday while filled with enthusiasm, on the New Jersey turnpike heading south, I emailed friends and family that with "luck and a good tail wind" we would be by nightfall winging our way to Ramstein, Germany. After spending five hours waiting at Baltimore Washington Airport for a stand-by flight, and today driving back to NJ to McGuire AF base and waiting 2 hours for a flight, I'm less "excited" about the prospect of flying Space A, perhaps the A stands for Absent, as in seats. Tomorrow there is another flight from McGuire, after that perhaps it will be up to the "Expedia" gurus to get us to Paris for Saturday.
Meanwhile we are making the best of an interesting situation, last evening we stayed in our favorite hotel in Annapolis and this morning we toured the Annapolis Naval Academy. Wow, it was amazing with grand architecture, manicured grounds, and thousands (4400) of trim young men and women scurrying about. We toured the Lejeune Physical Center, home to an indoor size Olympic pool, mile long track, and wrestling gym, Dahlgren Hall the oldest building on the campus, Bancroft Hall the largest dormitory in the US (housing 4400 cadets, (with 4 miles of corridors), the Chapel dedicated in 1908 and sporting resplendent Tiffany and Gorham Studio stain glass windows, and last but not least the Crypt of John Paul Jones who was exhumed from an unmarked grave in PARIS from under a store front in 1905, after 6 years of searching! Just how much do you think that that cost the American taxpayers, do you even remember what war(s) John Paul Jones fought in?????
We've been blessed to meet many fellow Space A travelers, one couple who we met last night in BWI, and had dinner with tonight at Mc Guire, hail from Mobile, Al and they are trying to get to Rome for the Ordination of a friend's son. Ann the wife of the retired Army gentleman is an artist who renders images of lovely sea denizens (www.calagazart.com.) Last night Ann observed the distress of a young mother with tiny child who didn't get to board in BWI, Ann inquired of the USO attendant why the mom was so upset and after finding out that the mom had no money and couldn't get back to Germany to her husband until at least the next flight on Sat, Ann gave the attendant $100 to give to the young woman. Human Acts of kindness. Fellow travelers are a collection of Active Duty, dependents of active duty and retired military, as Kurt is retired USAF, we are in Cat. 6 the last group of passengers to fill open seats. If we are lucky enough to get a seat tomorrow, we will be on a cargo jet that will eventually deliver supplies to Afghanistan, certainly gives me a different perspective. It is humbling to be among the young men and women, and military families, when I think about the sacrifices that each of them makes so I can live with the freedoms I so take for granted. Tonight finds us billeted in a Base Hotel that is as nice as any I have ever stayed in, it is 2200 and with the window open I just heard Taps being played.........
Day is Done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright,
From afar, drawing night, falls the night.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, "neath the stars, 'neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.
Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, Scouts much go to their beds
Always true to the promise that they made.
While the light fades from the sight,
And the stars gleaming rays softly send,
To they hands we our souls, Lord commend.
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