ESSAY SUBMITTED BY MICHAEL ESHNER
Michael Eshner, Army, Sergeant
Wife: Samantha
Children: Kylee (9 yrs old) & Mikey (2 yrs old)
Holbrook, MA
Instead of explaining why we deserve this prize I would rather explain why we are worthy of this generosity. Our story begins as high school sweethearts and in the first act turns into teenage parenthood. This trying situation turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. From the moment they handed us our beautiful daughter Kylee, we knew that she was going to get the best life we could give her. We knew that our little girl would be put first regardless of what happened to us.
My focus was that my then girlfriend Samantha would be able to not only finish high school but to continue onto college. My goal was to do everything in my power to ensure that happened while raising our daughter as best as we could. Samantha worked tirelessly to raise a child, finish high school and go on to college while I worked to help make that possible.
During that time those roads we were traveling began to slowly bend; casting aside their parallel courses to slowly intersect at some future point. It was around then, after consulting Samantha that I decided to enlist in the Army. Enlisting provided an avenue to make a better life for my family while satisfying my desire to serve my country.
Basic training was my first real taste of being away from those I love. During our letter exchanges I realized that I had a great girl and a beautiful daughter back home.
It wasn't long after my return home from Basic Training that the war drums beat on our doorstep. It was my turn to head over to Iraq and do my part in the war. It was at this point I knew she was the woman I wanted to spend my life with. I proposed to her on the roof of the Prudential Center and two weeks before I deployed we were married in a small ceremony. Those two roads we had been traveling down for so long finally merged into one.
Iraq was a tough deployment for me. Tap dancing around death for a year wears you down as any veteran can tell you. But being away for so long really put things back home into perspective. You truly realize what is important to you and what was important to me were those two girls I left back home. If I hadn't known it before, I knew as I walked down the gangway, trying to hide my tears, to the plane that would end my leave and bring me back to Iraq. All I wanted to do was get home and be the best father and husband that I could possibly be.
I made it home safe and the first few weeks being home were great. Then we hit a rather long, rather rough patch. Much like many young couples we became overextended financially. Couple that with me going through my issues related to my deployment and it was a tough couple of years. But we stuck it out together never letting our relationship falter regardless of the situation we found ourselves in.
In the few years that passed after my first deployment, my wife graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Stonehill College and I went on to earn my Associates from Massasoit Community College. We were also blessed with another child, our son Michael Jr. was born. We were renting a house and living a pretty nice life when deployment time rolled around again. This time it was to Afghanistan.
We tried to look at the glass half full. Having recently been laid off, and with another mouth to feed, it would allow us to pay down all the debt we incurred during our tough years, as well as help us save for a house. Our son was 7 months old and our daughter 8 when I left which meant I would miss a lot of important events but serving my country is what I love to do.
Yet again we came through this deployment stronger than before and two months after my return we bought our house. We now have a place to grow roots and raise our children.
This run down of our story has left out so many little details of our journey. Like me surprising Samantha on my leave from Iraq by calling her at work and informing her that there was a soldier outside who needed a ride home. Or the troubling weeks we had when I lost my job and we had no clue how we were going to keep a roof over our heads. But the story's main purpose is to show how strong we are as a team. The fact that through the hardest times of our relationship, whether together or apart, we never blamed the other for the situations we found ourselves in. We never argue as to why we are stuck in a foxhole taking fire, but work together to fight our way out of it. We also have immense respect for what the other does. I cannot imagine juggling two kids, maintaining a household and working a full time job alone the same way she can't imagine being deployed for a year.
We set out 10 years ago knowing that if we make positive choices that good things will happen. This gift would validate that ethos as we continue down our road, together. What better way to show the love that our military has for each other than a beautiful home filled with love that we can share with our family and friends.
Thank you for reading our story!