I Got A Letter!

I love the smell of a fresh letter in the morning :)

Mr. Big is at WOBT and opposite of what I had read about military schooling we have been communicating without drawbacks.  We do video calls every day, sometimes twice per day and we chat and text.  Ok, we have crazy schedules due to the time difference but we make it work.

Anyways, I wanted a letter.  I see/ hear all the girls talking about getting letters from their Marines that made me want them also! Yes, I'm an envious person, those girls don't hear from their men in weeks and live for a letter, me in the other hand get to hear from my Marine and still...well yes, that is how I rule my Kingdom haha.

I've been asking for the letter forever and I know he have them (he has written almost four by now) but he hasn't sent them, I was every day "Did you send them yet? Did you send them yet? Did you send them yet?"

Today I had to do some errands and like everyday and out of a custom since I was not expecting anything, went to the mailbox.  A lady was coming in the building, she actually had to stop before me since I rushed to the mailbox. I opened it and at first I did not see anything; I bent a little more and there it was! A letter from my Marine!

"Aawww" "muah muah muah" and with that, I kissed my Marine's hands, the mailman's and every other person that had touched that envelope.

It was a beautiful letter, he wrote in cursive since I've always seen his molded one; he wanted me to see he had a nice handwriting.  In the letter he said he was thinking about me, about our life together.  He asked me what kind of house would I like 'Victorian' or 'Ranch' Style, I didn't even know what that was! lol No worries, my friend google will help me out.

...And he sent a picture.  Just a regular one, he had to take one for his passport.  But he looked very handsome.  He has changed a lot, last pic he showed me (we were not together by that time) he looked awful, like a inmate lol.  My Marine is getting fashionable and fashionable every day.  I'm doing a good job.

In all, it was good having a letter from him.  Even though he wrote about something I already knew (we talked about it the same day he wrote the letter lol) it was nice he took the time to please his girl.

“More than kisses, letters mingle souls.”

John Donne 

                                                                                                                                                                                              

POW/MIA Flag

I was reading about Memorial Day when I came across the POW/MIA flag.  What was this flag? I have never seen it in the States but yet it seemed it had an important meaning.   Here is some information for those who like me want to know a bit more about it. 

What is behind the flag?

POW/MIA stands for Prisoners of War (POWs) and Missing in Action (MIA).  The flag was designed as a symbol of citizen concern about United States military personnel taken as prisoners of war  or listed as missing in action.

It has its origins in 1971 during the Vietnam War with Mary Hoff, member of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia. This lady was married to Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael G. Hoff.  Her husband's plane, an A7A Corsair, was shot down on January 7th 1970 in Southeast Asia. In 1971 she read a Jacksonville Times-Union news story about Annin Flags, a New York flag manufacturer; she contacted the flag company, persuading them to help.  




What Are the Symbols in the Flag?

The flag is black, and bears in the center, in black and white, the emblem of the league.  The emblem features a white disk bearing in black silhouette the bust of a man, a watch tower with a guard on patrol, and a strand of barbed wire; above the disk are the white letters POW and MIA framing a white 5-pointed star; below the disk is a black and white wreath above the white motto: "You are not Forgotten."

How Did the Flag Become Important? 

On 1989 an official League flag that flew over the White House on National POW/MIA Recognition Day 1988 was installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as a result of legislation passed overwhelmingly during the 100th Congress.  On 1990, the 101st Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, recognizing the National League of Families POW/MIA Flag and designating it "as a symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation." 

The importance of the League’s POW/MIA flag lies in its continued visibility, a constant reminder of the plight of America’s POW/MIAs.  Other than “Old Glory”, the League’s POW/MIA flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White House, having been displayed in this place of honor on National POW/MIA Recognition Day since 1982.  At present, beyond Southeast Asia, it has been a symbol for POW/MIAs from all U.S. wars.

When Should We Fly This Flag?

Passage by the 105th Congress of Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act required that the League’s POW/MIA flag fly six days each year: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day.  It must be displayed at the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Departments of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the headquarters of the Selective Service System, major military installations as designated by the Secretary of the Defense, all Federal cemeteries and all offices of the U.S. Postal Service.

How to Display It? 
When displayed from a single flagpole, the it should fly directly below, and be no larger than, the United States flag.  If on separate poles, the U.S. Flag should always be placed to the right of the other flags (the viewer's left). 

Is There Really Any Prisoners of War or Missing in Action Personnel Office from the Vietnam War that Supports to Continue Using This Flag as a National Symbol in the US?

Elizabeth Flock from the US News raised this question: "How did an unofficial flag honoring less than 2,000 Americans become an official national symbol that many Americans now see every day?" Lynn O'Shea Director of Research at the National Alliance of Families for the Return of American's Missing Servicemen answered saying that: The POW/MIA Flag started out as a public awareness symbol representing servicemen captured and missing during the Vietnam War. Today, it represented over 80,000 servicemen unaccounted for from World War II, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf Wars and Afghanistan.   

What are your thoughts? Should this flag continue to be displayed as such a strong symbol? 

While you think on that I'll give you this interesting fact: the bust in the flag is Jeffrey Heisley's, that actually was not a POW or MIA.  His father was working with the flag project when he was struck with hepatitis during a Marine Corps training program. 
His shrunken condition inspired his father to draw him in silhouette for the flag.  

My Two Cents...
I found this picture on the internet, when I saw it I thought that it reflected better what I understood the flag meant: the bust was from someone back home waiting for their loved ones. But as you may know by now the bust has no relation with the families of the missing or prisoners.

It seems I was wrong with a lot of things, first being that this flag has a way more recognition than I thought it had; even though I've never noticed it.  

Should this flag be as important as it is now? If we are still thinking about the Vietnam War no, I think it shouldn't. But today it represents more than that war but all of them; there are families still waiting and we can't forget them neither.  The flag could be a remainder for those who have the means, to keep looking for those who are not yet back home.

Mark Your Agenda: The third Friday of September is the National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

My Marine's Bday

Part 1

Mr. Big is turning 34, Amen to that.  This is the time of the year where we finally separate by one year; I love him being older than me :)

I'm not really sure in what to get him for his present, I would buy him the world if I could.  I saw a very nice pair of sneakers, urban sneakers, something trendy, maybe that, or a nice shirt, in a provocative color, salmon maybe.

First thing is that I have to make sure we talk that day, he is expecting it.  My Marine have had a very weird life, in his previous relationship it doesn't seem like the lady was anywhere near to being in love.  He never had a birthday party and most of the time he did not get any presents on his very important day.  WTH? really?  For me bdays are the big deal, its the day you get to be the King (in his case).  He is my king every day of the year but that day, come on, hello!  So its very frustrating for me not being able to throw him a party or giving him...you know, me wrapped in lingerie... 

I went to a store last week and saw some incredible clothe, I wanted to buy him everything.  But I have to be wise with the money so I have to choose on what would be my final selection of items.

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Part 2

Those four paragraphs were written before his bday.  This is what happened:

I told him months ago I was going to buy him a gift that I was not going to ship (to save the shipping money) and that I was going to give it to him when I see him.  Then a while ago I reflected on him never having a bday party (since he was a kid) and that most of the time he did not get a present for his bday.  I changed my mind, I thought I had to send something, I decided for a little detail, not his real gift.  A pre-gift.

The weekend of his bday I was going to be at a bachelorette party, my sister in law's.  We talked a lot about it so he knew, I told him I was going to call him for sure on Saturday (his bday) but not early in the day but when I get home, we both agreed to that, he was fine.  I left for la Rioja on a Friday (Thurday he began to get emotional, sad about it) I told him I may not be able to call him on Friday, but I made an effort.  When I texted him to tell him I could, he said he couldn't because he was in a store buying something with his dad for a job they  had to do in the house...like he couldn't facetime me for a couple to say good bye?  First impact.  I got a bit mad.

I left and I wrote every time I could so he knew what I was doing.  You know how you have this feeling deep inside that you HAVE to write so the person doesn't get mad? I don't like that, I like writing him but not with the feeling that I HAVE to do it.

Long story short: I went to a club on Saturday (his Friday) and came back by 0600 my Sunday (1200 his Sunday) I said: I'm back, I'm going to bed I'm tired, I love you.

When I woke up I found a "Thanks for Remembering it".  WTH? Did I forget? It was 1200 his Sunday, literally beginning the Sunday.  Did I forget his birthday?  I woke up by 1300, his 0800; I decided to ignore it (difficult for me being the person I am, I got super mad about it) and I sent a happy bday text.  He woke up, said thanks, that he loved me and then...after I tried to talk a bit more he said he was not in the mood to talk.  Like was like that all day.  It screwed the rest of my day.  I wasn't sure on what I did.  Yes, I wasn't the first one who said happy bday but I did not forget, I said it super early anyways!  And the fact that I was trying to reach him and I was saying I was sorry and he kept giving me crap made me more mad.

Then he came with the "a bunch of friends are throwing me a party", what bunch of friends? He doesn't have a bunch of friends where he is right now, wth?.  Where did these friends came from now?  Was he doing it to punish me for not texting him at the minute his bday came in effect?

By the end of the day (my day) he was all normal again, he said he was tipsy because he missed me but he didn't say he was sorry.

In summary he got mad at me because while on the club I did not text and then I did not say happy bday to him first thing (technically it wasn't his bday yet).

Can you notice the difference in my mood between part 1 and part 2? How easily things change...

I'm the one that is not in the mood right now.