We met while serving in the Navy and attending a language school in beautiful Monterey Bay, California. We ended up in the same class to learn Korean. Fate was on our side and after our training we were both assigned to serve a three year tour in Misawa, Japan.
One year later I was deployed to Okinawa, a small island of Japan, and my crew was going to be relieved by my husband's crew. That means that my husband's crew would come down on Friday afternoon and I would leave on Saturday morning. I had been waiting for so long and I only hoped this was the night.
That evening we got dressed up and strolled around Sunset Beach, took in the beautiful scenery together, and then had an amazing dinner accompanied by live soft jazz . We relished every moment because we knew this would be our last time in Okinawa together.
After dinner we went star gazing on a rock wall that lines the coast, and after a quick nap for me, it was time for our next outing! It was about 5 a.m. and we were driving to a surprise location. Every New Year’s Day, many Okinawans flock to high points and other scenic spots around the island to watch the first sunrise of the new year. One of the best spots on the island is at Katsuren Castle. Although is was destroyed in a battle in 1498 the original foundation sits atop of a hill with a gorgeous view of the coast.
After sitting on a blanket and being surprised with my favorite breakfast, a custard filled chocolate dough nut, we watched the unobstructed sun rise from the ocean. In the midst of the romantic setting Paul read me a poem he had written and framed, “Together.” Then he handed me a small photo book. All the pictures were of our favorite times together from the previous years. On each photo was a superimposed letter that spelled out "Will you marry me?" .
Of course I said “YES.” He pulled out a ring and on one knee, slipped it on my finger. Paul did not have enough time to get my “official” engagement ring. So he bought a solitaire cubic zirconia so I could at least have a ring on my finger to show off! It was the day I looking forward to for over 2 years. It was about 7 a.m. when we were finally engaged and my flight left at 11 a.m. It was the most romantic 16 hours we have ever had together! The flight home was sad, but I had a good diversion.
I showed off that ring like it was a 4 carat pink diamond! I was so happy. We were married 41 days later in Hachinohe, Japan. We had our wedding in between our deployment times since our time together was limited. The night we returned from our honeymoon we got the phone call we were dreading, “Paul, you’re leaving tomorrow morning at 9:30. Be ready to go.” So the next morning I said goodbye to my husband for the first time. It was hard to say goodbye, but we realized it was only for a season. Now, two years later, we look back and can laugh about our unfortunate circumstances and intriguing story!
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