Friday, February 5. 2016 at 12:00 Matt took off from Gray Army Airfield as the Pilot in Command of his UH-60M helicopter. He was accompanied by three other crew members in the aircraft and family and friends cheered him on from the flight line.
His flight plan took him along the foothills of Mount Rainer, up to Seattle, back down through Tacoma, and finally back to Gray. He flew over Gray, circled back around and made his final landing at 13:15. He taxied over to the C. Company hanger where he was greeted by an arc of water from the Airfield firetruck cannons and a crowd of well-wishers.
Well, that would be a lovely capton for the photo of his final landing in a serious newspaper.
This isn't a serious newspaper.
I can't find the right words to describe the emotions that were building over the course of the week leading up to his flight.
We were excited, sad, and just ready for the day to finally get here. For months I have been thinking about what this day would look like. I had been trying to prepare myself for this moment that is somehow both a celebration of an accomplishment and a memorial to the end of a journey.
My team of supporters arrived at the airfield around 10:30. We stood outside as Matt did his pre-flight inspections and prepared for take-off. We got a few photos, he got a FaceTime call from a good friend in Germany, and then it was time for him to go.
We stood by, soaking in this moment as he took off for the last time.
And I was doing pretty well.
It was tough, but it was also so darn cold outside I just wanted him to take off so we could go warm up!
At 13:00 we were back at the airfield, ready for him to return.
By this time the two firetrucks had arrived and positioned themselves to welcome the aircraft, and our small crowd of 7 grew exponentinally as other pilots, crew chiefs, friends and members of the Command team arrived to watch the landing.
His wheels hit the ground, he began to taxi over to his parking area, the water in the cannons started to flow and suddenly 14 years of flying seemed like a mere moment and it was all over.
I'm not sure what the plan was supposed to be, but I wasn't interested in waiting to find out. I looked over at a friend of Matt's and asked if I could go out to the aircraft. He gave me a green flag and off I went.
The rotors were coming to a stop and I wanted to be there when Matt's boots hit the ground.
For some reason nobody followed me.
With each step I took toward him my ability to control the tears diminished.
And there I was, in his arms, tears falling,
It was a sweet moment I will always treasure.
Later Matt told me he looked up and saw me, alone, coming to greet him while all the other family, friends, and soldiers held back on the line, and something about it all was special and just fitting.
I barely escaped the freezing cold greeting brought by Gabe and a water hydrant. He sufficianntly soaked Matt, much to the pleasure of everyone looking on.
Matt was cheered on by the crowd, given a lot of hugs and warm wishes, he took a moment to thank the soldiers he worked with and then it was over.
An official retirment ceremony will come next month, and his last official day in the Army even later, but for me that moment on the airfield was the moment that this chapter ended.
The rest is just the prologue.
I thank God for an amazing 20+ year Army carreer, for keeping Matt safe on every flight both while training and deployed, for taking us places we never dreamed we would go, for putting people in our lives that we will treasure forever, and for giving me the opportunity to learn how to differentiate what aircraft is flying overhead based solely on the sound it is making.
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