Why I am DHB

Filed in National by on July 13, 2008

I am DHB because I am a veteran.  I served my country and I did so honorably.  I was a storekeeper aboard the SSN 708 Minneapolis-St. Paul.  At 19 years old I left my three DAY old daughter behind to make a better life for my girlfriend, daughter and myself.  I will never forget that day.  Just three days earlier I was in room 103 (not totally sure of room #) at Christiana Hosptial and I was holding my first daughters mothers legs while she “pushed” for the nurses.  I was there.  I was comitted and I did what was right.  So, at 4:15AM on May 3rd, I was picked up by my Navy recruiter. 

I will never forget that morning either.  It was the 2nd day my daughter’s mother and I were home from the hospital.  #1 and I were 2 days into the rest of our lives.  And, I walked out the front door at 4am to a sleeping mother and daughter.  What is significant here is the lack of a romantic departure.  I wasn’t sent off with my girlfriend waiting by the door like some diligent woman waiting for her man to come home in a movie made in Hollywood.  I left in the dead of morning when no one noticed.  I left, basically, to take care of my first born child.  At 19 years old, I made the decision that the right thing to do was…..marry the mother of my child.   So, I stuck it out.  I entered the military and decided if I want a better life, well.  my government will do it.  As advertised.

I don’t have the time to get into it.  I will just say that for the rest of my dying days I will never forget that morning.  It was dark, cool and still.  I opened the door, looked behind me one last time and saw my daughter just 3 days old laying with her exhausted mother sleeping.

Out the door I walked.  Niave and young and only knowing that I needed a better life for my daughter and the only way to do that was through serving my country and working for my government.

This is only part of the story and only one minute reason I should be DHB.   I can give more detail if you want it, but it will require a beer..

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Comments (26)

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  1. mike w. says:

    “I left, basically, to take care of my first born child. At 19 years old, I made the decision that the right thing to do was…..marry the mother of my child. So, I stuck it out.”

    I applaud you for that sir. It is a responsibility that far too many men choose to ignore.

  2. A. bundy says:

    Wow! What a touching story.

    A question if I may? If you guys weren’t ready for a child (which it doesn’t sound like you were) why didn’t your girl just get an abortion?

  3. Andy says:

    Run Silent Run Deep

  4. Dana says:

    But wait a second! If’n y’all supported General Wesley Clark’s statement that having served in combat and been a prisoner of war doesn’t qualify one to be president, then surely being a storekeeper aboard the USS Minneapolis-St Paul doesn’t automatically qualify you to be Delaware’s Hottest Blogger! 🙂

  5. JG says:

    Sounds like an interesting story, its worth a beer to me.

  6. pandora says:

    “If you guys weren’t ready for a child (which it doesn’t sound like you were) why didn’t your girl just get an abortion?” Because, Bundy, they CHOSE not to. Get it?

  7. Stella Bluez says:

    A bumper sticker I have (I collect them):

    “If you can’t trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child?”

    Way to grow up fast DHB…..good choices….

  8. Disbelief says:

    Too bad the military doesn’t promote on the basis of hotness, or we’d be calling him ‘Admiral DV’ now.

  9. liberalgeek says:

    I’ve seen him. Storekeeper is about right if Hotness is a basis for promotion.

    I’d like to also point out to the potential voters that I was actually changing my first born’s diapers on day 4 to 900.

  10. Disbelief says:

    Geek has a point. Joining the Foreign Legion seems attractive if it gets you out of changing diapers.

  11. liberalgeek says:

    Dis – That is the reason that I am Delaware’s Hottest Blogger, while Doviti will be reduced to… what’s the phrase… Lickspittle.

  12. Dominique says:

    I would cast my vote for DV’s girlfriend for picking up the parenting slack while he was traipsing around on submarines. 😉

  13. liberalgeek says:

    If only she blogged…

  14. Abundy,

    1) b/c my girlfriend didnt want one. In the end, it was her choice and her body. She decided to keep it and I decided to support her.

  15. dana,

    not automatically no I agree. However if you know anything about submarines and what it takes to get your “dolphins” then yes 🙂

  16. I’d like to also point out to the potential voters that I was actually changing my first born’s diapers on day 4 to 900.

    I’d like to point out that means that it took way to long to potty train your kid, which in turn means your parenting style sucks..

    zing!

  17. Dom,

    she was a wonderful mother when she wasn’t sleeping till 9 or 10 am every morning, doing nothing and signing my name for credit cards.

    It was always a treat to come back from a 90 day run and find out we had a citi,disc, cap one card that had about $1500 on it.

  18. Art Downs says:

    I also have respect for boxkickers with Dolphins.

  19. Joanne Christian says:

    Thank you for serving DHB–I sleep very well at night because of great people like you–and it will figure heavily in the voting if I am permitted to vote. However, I would have picked ya for an “ordinance” kinda guy–not storekeeper…but I digress. Additionally, May 3rd rings sweetly for me, as the birthday of my first daughter…though certainly not the same year I’m sure.
    Now for the balance piece….would you be so kind to mention the age of “girlfriend” at this momentous occasion….and…location/involvement of respective new “grandparents”. Yes, I will buy you a beer….or did you mean we(the reader) will need a beer?
    Looking forward to any further information you can provide…to help detail my positioning in the future. Thank you.

  20. Art,

    HA! respect accepted…your vote will be welcomed

  21. I sleep very well at night because of great people like you

    Joanne…I asked you not to talk about that…geek will get jealous…

  22. 19 at birth and I guess 18 at conception…Way to young either way.

    regarding grandparents they were all around and VERY supportive. Looking back, I can’t imagine what must have been going on in their heads. They hid it well I can say that.

    If the same were to happen to my kid, I would let her know that If she were to choose abortion that I would be eternally respectful and admire her for being able to do so.

  23. Joanne Christian says:

    Thank you DTB for your prompt response. I appreciate your complete honesty (room 103–but I’m not sure). I assume no court martial took place? I will weigh service, honesty, illegitimacy, and responsibility as mitigating factors in all decisions when and if there is a tie. I now must move on to Jason330.

  24. RAH says:

    .Why so brave and noble. He impregnated a girl but did not think she should be his wife before he had a child. He decided it was better for his child to be bastard. He could have married the mother before she had the child. I mean like pregnancy takes what 9 months?

    Then you desert her and go into the military. The military does not make great money. She is left without benefits because this lout would not marry her first. No support from the military with a newborn that wives can get.

    Such a man, Please save me from such wimps as men like him. Actually I do not need saving, I can do that for myself. I would not give this selfish boy the time of day.