Show Navy Petty Officer Cesar Jesus D Cruz 28 with Charmaine 4 months Continued from Page 5 girl so in keeping with the climatic theme we chose “Stormy” I am a gunner on an M1A1 tank and I remember that the first time I pulled the trigger on my gun there was a moment when I looked over at the picture Stationed on the cargo ship USS Durham in the Arabian Sea I work in supply We take care of the ship store the laundry and the barbershop I got the news of my daughter’s birth on Feb 28 the day of the ceasefire It was a great day in my life knowing that there would be a chance of coming home and that I had my baby An officer even gave me a cigar Charmaine is my first child I was newborn I reflected on it for a millionth of a second then 1 pulled the trigger I was thinking “This is what I’m doing it for” Like most fathers I’ve learned to treasure every moment with my little baby I’ll lie there and stare at her and feed her and burp her and do all those things people so excited about seeing her that I couldn’t sleep on the trip home to San Diego When I arrived on April 17 all the wives and cheering friends were on the pier The first people they let off the ship were the new fathers I’m ready for fatherhood I like the take for granted You have to have been away when your child was born to appreciate those things I wrote to my wife Elizabeth — this might sound silly — saying how I wanted to be home so bad to hold Jessica just let her lie on my chest and I knew she’d be responsibility Air Force Staff Sgt Richard Jenkins 25 with Holly Faith 5 months Las Vegas My daughter Holly Faith was born the night we started bombing Jan 17 so that’s an easy way for me to remember her birthday I’m an aircraft mechanic and I was working on an air base in Saudi Arabia that night so I guess you could say it was a little busy I also knew it was getting pretty close to the birth and I hadn’t spoken to my wife Shelly for a week so I was anxious It was the most stressful time I’ve ever had I didn’t know what was going to happen When I got the news about my daughter two days later that was probably the happiest moment of my life I was walking around in a daze I didn’t get to speak to my wife until almost a week later I remember the conversation very well I was in a very crowded room and I was in a bit of a hurry I wanted to make sure she was OK I asked her about a dozen times if she was OK She was on top of the world I think I’ll carry that with me the rest of the life She was absolutely on top of the world She just loved everything The sky was blue the flowers were blooming It was such a different mood than she had been in before when things were down I was gone and the war was beginning to escalate It was almost as if the clouds had broken and daylight had come through suddenly I didn’t get home till April I called at least once a June 6 1991 a kid I want whatever she wants I’d like to take her to the Philippines where I’m from so she can meet her grandparents I’m just learning how to carry her take her to the crib put her in the car seat — stuff like that My wife Morc-n- a is teaching me I haven’t changed the diapers yet would have the baby before I went USA WEEKEND of having to have three or four I am the only child in my family and that’s hard When she gets older I’d like to take her to Disneyland I’d like to buy her dribbling Most fathers would say “Nasty kid!” But I wanted that I’d just lay her head on my chest and just cuddle her up I appreciate every moment of life now I’ve been through hell but we are trained for it and that’s just my job If I had to do it again of course I’d do it But I 6 Naval Station San Diego I was of my vife and daughter and Stationed at Nellis Air Force Ease at US week Then the pictures started coming That was the one thing that kept everybody going over there Photographs were stuck over everyone’s bed Wherever someone was sleeping there were zillions of pictures Right before you’d fall asleep you’d look around and see all these people staring dreamy-eye- d at their pictures In the first picture I got the baby’s eyes were closed and I remember wondering if she had blue eyes like my wife’s They were gray at first They’re blue now I got home April 2 1 landed in Colorado Springs where my wife was staying with her parents When I came through the security gate and saw her and my son and the baby it was: “OK who gets hugged first?” You just want to stand there in the air- port for about a week and hug everyone You just think: “It’s over now” It was pass-the- baby time I didn’t know if I should hold the baby squeeze the baby squeeze the whole bunch of them It was almost like starting life again I think being in the war changed me I told my wife that I learned from being over there exactly what’s important in life As much as you struggle for material things want to work hard move up that’s not as important as it seems It’s more important to be able to sit on the porch and hug your family and talk to the people you love It slowed down my battery I’m not in such a big hurry to succeed anymore I have other more important things to do This experience has taught me that I need to be more of a father and a husband and not just your stan- dard Air Force guy who fixes airplanes I still fix the airplanes but I would prefer to be at home fixing lunch Top photograph by Amy Etra Outline bottom photograph by Steven Pumphrey |