10 year anniversary of USS Shiloh homecoming

Yes, I'm aware that the USS Shiloh has had more than one homecoming. This one was pretty significant. First of all my husband was on that deployment. Second, the ship was 3 months overdue on returning home.

It was April 25, 2003 when they returned to San Diego, California.
The USS Shiloh was one of the first ships sent out in the beginning of the war. It was the first to fire missiles and one of the first ships to return home.

Here is a link I found about the Shiloh http://www.uscarriers.net/cg67history.htm

I can't believe it's been 10 years!

Most of these pictures are from my husband's camera. Some I do not know where they came from.

 My handsome sailor

 My husband is on the bottom, far left

 Having some time off in Australia

I will always remember every homecoming, but this one sticks out because of the extra danger, because my husband was gone longer than scheduled and because at times I didn't know if or when he'd be coming back. It's also hard to forget when pictures of our family were in the newspaper. Years later we would find pictures online that we didn't know exist. I am grateful for the moments that were captured and frozen in time.

Here are my pictures first-

My mom, waiting for the ship to come in, eating breakfast. Yummy fruit!

John's mom and our daughter who was born while John was on his first deployment. She was 3 here.

Me, Tristan and Jeremy anxiously waiting (I had lost so much weight that John saw me but didn't even know it was me)

Here they come...

Someone looks happy and excited!

Finally!

                                      

Making his way through the crowd

My mother in law was ecstatic when we went out to breakfast the next morning and she saw my husband and son on the front page of the LA Times. We have several copies of the paper and my dad e-mailed the photographer and got a nice copy of the famous picture.

We later found out that this picture was in multiple newspapers from one end of the states to the other, even back home in Utah. Our son was 6 and in kindergarten at the time. He is now in 10th grade and turned 16 last month.

 Me and hubby- long time no see. (I didn't know about this picture until years later)

I love how Jeremy is holding on to his dad here. John's mom is in the red hat holding our balloon daughter, Tristan.

 I decided to throw a little surprise party when I brought John home to Utah with a lot of help from family and friends. (but first John and I had some play time in California- Knott's Berry Farm, etc.)

 My step mom and my dad

 My mom, cousins, uncle, brother

My best friend and me (she has a lot to do with me and John being together)

I have so many more pictures, but I know I've already overloaded you.

9 months later this adorable little girl came into our lives.

Yes, I had a post-war baby!

God Bless our military and their families! I'm thankful for these memories. It feels like yesterday and it still brings tears to my eyes.



If you are in any of these pictures and would rather not be on here, please let me know!