Disclaimer:
This story will describe the life of Robert David Mathews from his time as a teenager, through prep school, and into military service. If stories involving sex between consenting teenagers, including both straight sex and gay sex, offends you, go back to the Archives and pick a different story for your reading pleasure.
There has been minimal research for this story therefore, names, places, dates are mostly fictitious and similarities to real life are coincidental. Some companies and organizations mentioned actually exist, but references to the activities, policies, programs and procedures are fictitious. I was not a SEAL and have limited knowledge of the force. I am writing this story from imagination and a little research, not from personal experience.
My editor, Bill, is a dedicated friend. His improvements in my writing style are greatly appreciated.
Readers, please note! This story describes FICTIONAL missions of the SEAL characters in my story. This author in NO WAY suggests that such missions are actually performed by the US Navy SEALs!!!!
Washington Academy Chapter 34 Happy Times?
Robbie and Jennifer returned to Michigan from their honeymoon on Maui, and joined their parents at the Anderson home. They shared the digital photos of their wonderful trip before driving to Jennifer's apartment that she shared with Kellie Watson. The newlyweds were pleased that Kellie was spending the night with her boyfriend so they could continue the lovemaking that had begun only a week before. The next day they returned to the Anderson home to open their wedding presents and were thrilled with the gifts that would be perfect when they had their own home together.
Jennifer had lost her virginity, and was a willing and passionate lover who was eager to learn from her husband. Their sex was spontaneous and exciting, and they tried a variety of positions and learned the erotic areas of their partner. Their love grew stronger with each day they spent together, and they celebrated each new day with passionate sex.
David and Marie were playing cards with Carol and Tom when the newlyweds stopped in for a visit. Robbie had a new cast on his right arm, and the smaller cast allowed him to be able to use his right arm for the first time since the wedding. The happy couple watched the card game and was going to join in to play poker when Robbie's pager began vibrating.
"NO!" Jennifer screamed. "They can't make you go back so soon!"
"Use my office!" David said to his son. He knew that Robbie would have to leave for active duty, and listened to Marie talking to Jennifer.
"This is part of being married to a SEAL," Marie said. "I never got used to David having to leave on short notice, but I had to accept the orders of his commanding officer."
"I have to be at Metro Airport in 45 minutes," Robbie said softly to Jennifer. "Please don't be angry with me."
"You pack and I'll get the van ready," Tom Anderson said to Robbie. "We'll all go to the airport with you."
It was a tearful scene when Jennifer and Robbie hugged and kissed goodbye at the airport. Robbie choked back his emotions and ran for the gate where his flight was already boarding.
Jennifer cried for the entire trip back to the Mathews' home, and prayed that Robbie would be safe and return home soon. She was exhausted from the emotional drain, and took a nap in the guest room while the other two couples sat and talked.
SEAL Team 28 was reunited in Norfolk, Virginia before boarding military flights to Europe and then back to Kuwait. Even though the United States was not at war, the team was constantly moving around the Middle East on secret missions. They also had missions in Eastern Europe where their Arabic language skills were needed.
It was the middle of February when Robbie had a short leave in Kuwait. He dialed the number for Jennifer's cell phone and hoped that she would answer.
"Hello" Jennifer said when her cell phone rang.
"Hi Beautiful!" Robbie said. "How's my sexy wife?"
"ROBBIE!" Jennifer screamed. "Are you okay? When are you coming home?"
"Before we talk, I need to know that you're not driving your car," Robbie said. "Where are you?"
"Hang on!" Jennifer said. "I'm on the expressway headed for supper with our parents."
"I'll hang up if you don't pull over!" Robbie threatened.
Jennifer was in the middle lane of three lanes of heavy traffic, and quickly got into the right lane and then on the shoulder of the expressway. She turned on her emergency flashers, and was anxious to talk to Robbie.
"I'm on the shoulder right now!" Jennifer said. "I love you!"
"I love you more!" Robbie said.
"Oh Shit!" Jennifer said.
"What's wrong?" Robbie asked.
"A cop just pulled behind me with his lights on!" Jennifer said.
"Did you do anything wrong?" Robbie asked. "If you get a ticket, I'm NOT paying it!"
The State Trooper walked up to Jennifer's door and knocked on the window. She rolled down the window and hoped that he would just give her the ticket so she could talk to Robbie.
"Is there something wrong, Miss?" the trooper asked.
"I just pulled over because my husband is on the phone," Jennifer began. "He's a Navy SEAL, and I haven't talked to him in two months! He won't talk to me on my cell phone if I'm driving, so I had to pull over!"
"I wish more people would do the same thing," the trooper said. "I'll just stay behind you until your call is finished. Tell your husband 'thanks' for serving our country!"
Jennifer was relieved that she wasn't going to get a ticket, and quickly returned to her important phone call.
"Was he staring at your tits when he said that?" Robbie teased. "I can't wait until I can suck your nipples raw!"
"Stop thinking with your dick!" Jennifer teased.
"I love you!" Robbie said. "I don't have a lot of time to talk to you, and I wanted to know what's new with my beautiful wife."
"I have something VERY important to tell you," Jennifer said. "I went to the dentist last week!"
"Okay, you went to the dentist," Robbie repeated. "What's so important about a dentist appointment?"
"It was a routine exam, but the dentist said 'I see a big change coming in your life' to me!" Jennifer replied. "He saw something in his exam and suggested that I make an appointment with a specialist."
"JESUS, Jenny Kay, are you okay?" Robbie asked. "What did the specialist say?"
"I went to Dr. John Walker two days ago and he confirmed what the dentist found," Jennifer replied excitedly. "I'M PREGNANT!"
"OH MY GOD!" Robbie exclaimed. "How did that happen? When did it happen? You were on the pill! Oh Shit, I'm being stupid!"
"You not only busted my cherry on our honeymoon, you knocked me up!" Jennifer laughed. "You shoved that monster so far up me that you probably blew the birth control pills right out of me!"
"WOW!" Robbie began. "I'M GONNA BE A DADDY!"
"I haven't told anyone yet," Jennifer said. "I wanted you to be the first to know! I'm eight weeks pregnant, and my estimated due date is September 7th. You'd better be home for the birth of our first child!"
"I'LL BE THERE!" Robbie promised. He knew that his last leave for his marriage was cut short, and his commanding officer, Lt. Dan Tobin had promised to make it up to him in the future.
The phone call continued for another five minutes before the time ran out and a buzzer sounded. The happy couple exchanged words of love and said goodbye.
David, Marie, Tom and Carol were enjoying glasses of wine at the Red Fox Restaurant when Jennifer walked in with a big smile on her face.
"I just talked to Robbie!" Jennifer said with glee. "He's fine and still loves me!"
"Have a glass of wine, Pumpkin!" Tom offered.
"I won't be drinking any alcohol for a while!" Jennifer said with a smile that was even larger than before.
Carol looked at her daughter, and for the first time recognized that Jennifer's complexion was more radiant than ever. She suddenly realized why her daughter looked different and asked "Jenny, are you really?"
"I can see it in her face!" Marie added.
"What's wrong with a glass of wine?" Tom asked.
"I'M PREGNANT!" Jennifer said with tears of joy flowing down her face.
The table erupted with the celebration of the fantastic news, and David quickly ordered a bottle of expensive champagne.
Jennifer took only a tiny sip of the champagne and was bubbling over with excitement about her pregnancy and the phone call with Robbie. She was on top of the world, and celebrated with her parents and in-laws.
Robbie was again immersed in a number of missions that his team was assigned. The Eagle Team was fortunate that they completed all of the missions without any teammate suffering any serious injuries. At the end of August, he was headed home on leave, and called Jennifer to give her the great news. When he arrived at Metro Airport, he was surprised to see Jennifer waiting for him. She was "big as a barn" and he was concerned about her traveling to the airport.
"Jenny Kay, you shouldn't be here!" Robbie said while hugging and kissing his wife. He led Jennifer to a bench and offered to get her a drink or anything that she wanted.
"Your entire SEAL team couldn't have kept her home!" David joked.
Robbie knew that Jennifer had moved back home during her pregnancy so that her parents could take care of her and make sure that she ate only healthy food. Jennifer had told Robbie that she was expecting twins, but the future grandparents hadn't been told. It would be a surprise for them and Robbie and Jennifer were excited about the beginning of their family.
"I'll get the van while you and Robbie get his sea bag," Tom said to David. "Jenny shouldn't be walking anymore!"
David and Robbie were waiting at the Baggage Claim conveyor when David saw Robbie's sea bag coming around on the carousel.
"Robbie, there's your sea bag!" David said to his son.
Robbie was reaching for his baggage when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a Navy Lieutenant, and he quickly snapped to attention and saluted. "I apologize for not seeing you, SIR!" Robbie said.
"Are you really Robbie Mathews?" Lt. Tom Erickson asked after returning Robbie's salute.
"Yes, SIR!" Robbie replied.
"I've been searching the entire Navy to make contact with you!" Tom Erickson said excitedly. "Can I please talk to you for a few minutes?"
"I'm sure that my son didn't mean any disrespect," David began. "He's home on leave for the birth of his first child, and we're all excited."
"I need to ask him a few questions that are Navy business," Tom said to David.
"Sir, this is my Dad, Navy Captain David Mathews, and anything you need to talk to me about can be said in front of him," Robbie said.
"My God! I've met two of the best SEALs in the history of the Navy!" Tom said. "I've been looking for you to talk about my brother, Ben Erickson."
Robbie recognized the name of Ben Erickson, but knew that he had to keep any information about his missions a strict secret.
"Can we go over there and talk?" Tom said while pointing to an empty part of the Baggage Claim Area. He was pleased when Robbie and David followed him to the area before asking, "Can you tell me where you were on February 2nd of this year?"
"Lieutenant, you know that a SEAL can't divulge where he has been while on duty," David replied.
Tom Erickson smiled and then said, "Let me describe what happened to my brother, and see if it sounds familiar to you. My brother's a Marine, and he was stationed in Afghanistan where his platoon was training the Afghan Army. An RPG hit the HumVee that he was riding in, and Taliban militants captured him and two other Marines. They were taken to a tiny village on the Pakistan border and were being interrogated and tortured in an attempt to get them to divulge their assignments and to sign confessions that they were terrorists.
Robbie knew where this story was going, but he tried to maintain his composure and not admit that he knew Ben Erickson.
"My brother and the other two Marines were tied to chairs and were being beaten by two Taliban assholes and 20 more militants were watching," Tom continued. "Ben was sure that he was going to die from the beatings and the leg wound he sustained before being captured. The militants were taking turns beating him and his buddies, when he saw another Arab come into the hut and start screaming at the man who was hitting him with the butt of a rifle. He understood enough of the Arabic language to understand that the new arrival had orders to take the American prisoners to a different village. Ben said that the two men continued arguing, and he looked at the new man and saw that he had an AK 47 slung over his shoulder. When his attackers turned to face the new arrival, all Hell broke loose. Both of the Arabs nearest the chairs were hit in the throat by large knives and then other Arabs broke through the windows and doors and began firing assault weapons. He was sure that he was going to die, and fought to stay conscious. When he heard the attackers shout 'CLEAR!' he was confused until one of the Arabs ran up to him and started cutting the ropes that held him to the chair. The man said that he was Lieutenant Dan Tobin, and that his team of Navy SEALs had come to rescue them!"
"You know that my son can't confirm or deny that he was involved," David said.
"Please let me continue," Tom said. "My brother heard the lieutenant say to one of his team, 'Nice work, Mack!' Then your son walked up to my brother and said, 'My name's Robbie Mathews, and I'm your ride out of this shithole!' My brother lost consciousness, but said that Robbie Mathews carried him over a mile to the extraction point without stopping. He was never able to thank you for saving his life, so he asked me to find you! I SALUTE you for getting my brother home to his family!"
"How is your brother?" David asked. He could see by the expression on Robbie's face that he wanted to know what had happened to Ben Erickson.
"The doctors were able to save Ben's leg, but he got a Medical Discharge last month," Tom replied. "I'm home on leave too, and my wife and son will be flying to Texas with me in two days to see my brother and his family. I can't wait to tell him that I found you and was able to say 'Thanks'. It seems insignificant that I can't do something more to thank you, but I know that my brother owes you his life!"
"Thanks for your kind comments," David said to Tom. "We need to leave now, but we wish your brother and his family health and success in the future."
Robbie was loading his sea bag into the van when a teenaged boy ran up to him and gave him a hug. "Thanks for saving my uncle's life!" Benjy Erickson said to Robbie. "Can I please take your picture?"
Robbie grabbed David so he could be included in the pictures, and loved seeing the big smile on the cute teenager. The boy even asked a stranger to take a picture so he could be included.
David saw Robbie whisper something to the young boy, and wondered why the boy had a confused look on his face. He decided not to ask and got into the van for the trip to the Anderson home.
Robbie fussed over Jennifer, and saw her face contort in pain. He was concerned, and then saw liquid flowing down the leather seat of the van after Jennifer screamed. He thought that she had wet her pants until Marie left her seat to rush to Jennifer's side.
"TOM, GET US TO THE HOSPITAL!" Marie yelled. "HER WATER JUST BROKE!"
Carol pushed Robbie out of the way and quickly reclined the seat to make Jennifer more comfortable. Jennifer was screaming in pain, and Robbie was scared. "David, hand me my cell phone!" Carol ordered. She searched through the list of phone numbers and punched the button to call the Trauma Unit at St. John Hospital and Medical Center. "Please page Dr. John Walker and tell him that Jennifer Mathews is in labor! We'll be at the hospital in 10 minutes, and her water just broke! Her labor pains are less than five minutes apart!"
"Tom you'd better drive faster or I'll be delivering our grandchild right here in your van!" Marie ordered.
When the van arrived at the entrance to the Trauma Unit, a medical team was waiting with a gurney to get Jennifer inside. She was screaming in pain, and Robbie felt helpless! He followed the gurney into the hospital and saw a doctor running up to attend to Jenny Kay.
"She's dilated to 9!" a nurse said to the doctor after a quick examination.
"Get her into Birthing Room 6!" Dr. John Walker ordered. "We're gonna have a baby!"
Robbie was sickened when he saw the doctor using surgical scissors to cut Jennifer's vaginal opening. He knew that it was necessary to prevent tearing of the opening during the birth, but he didn't like to see Jennifer in pain and bleeding! He had lost count of the number of times that he had seen his teammates injured, but felt sick when it was his wife who was in pain!
David and Tom went to the Maternity Waiting Room and waited for good news from the Birthing Room.
"Here's the first baby!" Dr. Walker said when he saw the head appear.
"What do you mean the FIRST baby?" Carol asked.
"We're having twins!" Robbie sobbed.
"OH MY GOD!" Carol and Marie exclaimed at the same time.
"IT'S A BOY!" Dr. Walker announced.
Jennifer was screaming in pain while she pushed to give birth to her babies.
"IDENTICAL TWIN BOYS!" Dr. Walker announced happily. "Congratulations!"
Robbie watched the nurses washing his twin sons and had tears of joy flowing down his face. His hands were shaking when he cut the umbilical cords, and couldn't wait to hold his infant sons. When the nurse handed him the first-born baby, he opened the blanket and looked at every part of the screaming bundle of joy.
"HE'S PERFECT!" Robbie exclaimed. "Hi little guy! I'm your Daddy and I get to give you your name!" He dipped his thumb in a cup of water and made the Sign of the Cross on the screaming baby's forehead. "Andrew Thomas Mathews, I baptize you in the Name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit!" Robbie said.
Carol Anderson gasped when she realized that Robbie had honored the memory of her son by naming his first-born child after Drew. Tears flowed down her face, and she was overcome with emotions!
"GIVE ME MY BABY!" Jennifer demanded.
"God gave your Mommy a supply of some VERY special food for your first meal," Robbie said to Little Drew. "And I want you to know that the food comes in a VERY attractive container!"
"Robbie, behave yourself!" Marie ordered.
Robbie handed the screaming infant to Jennifer and saw his son immediately begin nursing. He accepted his second son from the nurse, and closely examined the baby. "What's this mark on his little bottom?" Robbie asked the doctor and nurses.
"That's a birthmark, but it shouldn't cause any problems," the nurse replied.
"MOM, LOOK AT HIS TINY BUTT!" Robbie exclaimed to Marie. "He's got a birthmark just like Dad!" He looked down at the screaming baby boy and said, "Hi little guy, I'm your Daddy and I get to give you your name! You already sound like your Mommy, so I'll hurry!" Robbie dipped his thumb in the cup of water and repeated the baptismal ceremony and said, "David Wilton Mathews the Second, I baptize you in the Name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit!"
It was Marie's turn to break down in sobs of joy. Robbie had named his new son after David, and she was thrilled!
"Your older brother's already chowing down, but Mommy has seating for two in her special restaurant!" Robbie said to Little David.
"GIVE ME MY BABY!" Jennifer ordered.
"Maybe if one of them get full, I can take a turn!" Robbie teased.
"You asshole!" Jennifer yelled.
Marie and Carol beamed with pride when they watched the twin boys nursing from Jennifer's breasts. It was the most beautiful sight that they had ever seen!
"There are two OLD men waiting for some good news!" Marie said to Robbie. "Go get them!"
Robbie left the Birthing Room and ran down the hallway to the Waiting Room. He burst inside and announced, "WE'VE GOT IDENTICAL TWIN BOYS!"
"TWINS?" both men asked in astonishment.
"Not just twins, but IDENTICAL twin boys!" Robbie repeated for emphasis.
David and Tom hugged Robbie and celebrated the wonderful news. They were both shocked that Jennifer had delivered twins, and quickly asked if everyone was healthy.
"Have you named them?" Tom asked. He knew that Robbie and Jennifer had agreed that Robbie would name a boy and Jennifer would name a girl.
"My first-born son is named Andrew Thomas Mathews," Robbie said softly. "We'll call him Drew if you and Momma Carol don't object."
Tom broke down crying, as his wife had done, when he learned that Robbie had honored the memory of his son. He hugged Robbie and thanked him profusely for remembering Drew. "What did you name the other boy?" Tom asked.
"His name is David Wilton Mathews the Second," Robbie replied. "He's even got a birthmark on his little butt, just like you!"
David hugged Robbie and shed tears of joy at hearing that Robbie had honored him with the ultimate form of recognition. "I don't deserve that honor!" David said to Robbie.
"You deserve that and even more!" Robbie replied.
"When can we see the babies and Jennifer?" Tom asked.
"Right now!" Robbie replied. "Do you guys realize that you will be shacking up with two grandmothers from now on?"
Tom and David laughed and couldn't wait to tease their wives! They followed Robbie to the Birthing Room and were excited to see the babies.
"Tom, this is our grandson, Drew!" Carol said with tears flowing down her face. She was holding the tiny baby, and was celebrating with Marie and Jennifer.
"David, do you want to hold our grandson, Davie?" Marie asked. "He's just perfect!"
Tom snapped digital photos of Marie and Carol holding the twins, and then handed the camera to Robbie so he and David could hold the boys.
Robbie snapped more pictures, and teased, "Maybe we can get the new grandparents to take the boys for a walk so we can get started on a baby sister!"
"If you come near me with that monster of yours, I'll cut it off!" Jennifer threatened.
"A woman doesn't want to repeat the pain of childbirth for a long time!" Carol said to Robbie.
"HA!" Robbie exclaimed. "I bet she'll be begging for it in less than a week! She's a tiger in bed!"
"Robbie, BEHAVE yourself!" Marie ordered.
The happy family celebrated and took pictures until the camera's memory card was full and the batteries went dead.
"Let's go home and make some calls to announce the wonderful news!" Carol said to Tom.
"We'll go home too and come back later with some clean clothes for Robbie," Marie said. "Jenny needs to rest!"
The beauty of the Birthing Rooms at the hospital was that the father and babies could stay in the room with the new mother. Robbie brushed back the hair on Jennifer's face and kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks for giving us two beautiful baby boys!" he said to his wife. "I love you!"
When Jennifer was released the next morning, a stretch limousine was waiting to take her and the newborn twins to the Anderson home. The champagne was opened in the white limousine, and everyone was celebrating!
Robbie stayed at the Anderson home and fussed over Jennifer and the babies. He tried to provide everything that Jennifer asked for, but was frustrated by her constant complaining and anger. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't able to satisfy Jennifer's needs and wants.
"It's the Post-Partum Blues!" Carol said when she was alone with Robbie. "A woman goes through some major hormonal changes after childbirth, and you have to be patient with her! She'll calm down soon!"
Robbie loved Jennifer, and waited patiently for her to calm down. He fussed over her and the babies, and enjoyed every minute of his leave.
In Houston, Texas, Tom Erickson was excited when he told his brother, Ben that he had found Robbie Mathews at Metro Airport in Detroit. He showed Ben the digital pictures, but was disappointed when Ben said that he had found the wrong guy.
"He had dark hair, a dark beard and dark eyes," Ben said. "This guy has blonde hair and blue eyes! Thanks for trying to find him for me, but I know this is not the guy that saved my life."
"I didn't like him!" Benjy said to his uncle and father. He was named after his uncle Ben, and walked out of the living room while saying, "You're not fat!"
"Benjy, come back here!" Ben said. "What did you just say?"
"You're not fat!" Benjy repeated. "He was a nice guy at first, but now I don't like him!"
"What did he say to you?" Tom Erickson asked his son.
"Tell me EXACTLY what he said!" Ben demanded.
"He said to ask you if you ever went on a diet!" Benjy replied.
"HOLY FUCK!" Ben exclaimed. "Let me look at that picture again!" He looked at the picture and suddenly he saw something that he had previously missed. "HIS DIMPLES! HE HAD DIMPLES! IT'S REALLY HIM!"
Benjy was confused. His uncle was extremely happy, and he wondered why.
"Marines and SEALs don't get along," Ben said while hugging his nephew and looking at the picture. "I was unconscious most of the time that he carried me out of that shithole, but I remember him saying, 'You fucking Marines need to go on diets!' You found the right guy!"
Tom explained to his son that Robbie could have dyed his hair, worn a fake beard and might have worn tinted contact lenses to hide his blue eyes from the Taliban militants. He was thrilled that Ben had recognized the dimples on Robbie Mathews, and the two brothers celebrated with cold beers.
Jennifer finally calmed down when her body adjusted to the hormonal changes, and she was in heaven when she was feeding her twins. She tried to describe her feelings when she felt the milk being drawn out of her body, but couldn't find the right words.
When the day arrived that Robbie had to return to active duty, Jennifer was upset. It was the first time that Robbie had been home on leave that their time together wasn't cut short by his pager, and she was thankful. She kissed Robbie goodbye at the home of her parents, and missed him terribly when he left.
When Robbie rejoined his SEAL team, he was bubbling over with pride. He celebrated the births of his sons with his "brothers" and then got back into the planning of their next mission.
When February arrived, Robbie was headed home on leave, and wanted to surprise his wife and family. He arrived at Metro Airport at midnight, and caught a taxicab for the trip to the Anderson home. He rang the doorbell and waited for someone to wake up and let him inside.
Tom Anderson woke up and couldn't believe that someone was ringing the doorbell in the middle of the night. He looked at the clock and cussed before putting on a robe to walk downstairs to see who was interrupting his sleep. When he looked through the peephole in the door, he was overjoyed to see Robbie standing on the porch.
"ROBBIE!" Tom screamed. He opened the door and hugged his son-in-law!
Jennifer had heard the doorbell, but settled back down to return to sleep until she heard her father yelling Robbie's name. She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs and into the arms of her husband. She hugged and kissed Robbie and then swore at him for not telling her that he was coming home on leave.
"I thought that you liked surprises!" Robbie teased. "Do you want me to leave?"
"Get your butt upstairs and make love to me!" Jennifer demanded.
"Can I see our sons first?" Robbie asked. When he saw the sleeping boys, he was shocked at how much they had grown. He wanted to hold his sons, but Jennifer told him not to wake them up. He kissed each boy on the head before following Jennifer to the bedroom. He took a quick shower and was thrilled when Jennifer joined him. They made love standing up in the shower and then went to the bed for more intensive mating.
Carol knew that Marie would want to know the minute that Robbie got home, so she dialed the Mathews' home and woke David up. He was grumpy until he heard the great news, and quickly got Marie up so they could dress and see Robbie.
The happy family stayed awake until 3:00 a.m. so they could visit with Robbie. Everyone was exhausted, so they all went to bed at the Anderson home.
When Robbie woke up the next morning, he was pleased that Jennifer was still in bed with him. "How long have you been awake?" Robbie asked her.
"About 10 minutes is all," Jennifer replied. "I love watching you sleeping!"
"You don't know how much it means to me to wake up beside you," Robbie said.
"I love you!"
"I love you too," Jennifer replied. "It's almost 10 a.m. and the boys must be awake by now."
"Are you still nursing them?" Robbie asked. He had kissed Jennifer's breasts during their lovemaking, but didn't want to admit that the taste of mother's milk was gross!
"They still nurse and take formula too," Jennifer replied. "Wait 'till you see them eat rice cereal! It's a riot! Most of it goes down their faces or on their clothes, and then they spit some of it up when I burp them!"
Robbie was excited to see his sons, and quickly got dressed. He thanked the grandparents for taking care of the infants so he and Jennifer could sleep in, but wanted his turn caring for the boys.
Robbie enjoyed the rest of his time on leave, but realized he would have to fly back to active duty. He gave everyone hugs and kisses before he left his wife and children at the Anderson home.
Robbie called home in June 2001 and congratulated Jennifer on her graduation from the University of Michigan. He wished that he could have been home to celebrate, but his team was more in demand than ever before. SEAL Team 28 had established a reputation for completing "impossible" missions, and was used frequently.
When the terrorists flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, SEAL Team 28 was sent to the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier operating in the Arabian Sea. The Truman had been commissioned in 1998, and had been selected to be the Operations Center for military actions against the Taliban militants operating in Afghanistan. President George Bush had declared war on terrorism, and Afghanistan was known to harbor Taliban and Al Qaeda training camps where Muslim terrorists learned their techniques.
Robbie was surprised when Admiral Arthur Harrison came into the cramped quarters where he and his SEAL team were housed. The eight sailors snapped to attention and saluted the Admiral, wondering why he was coming to see them.
"At ease gentlemen!" Arthur Harrison said. "I just came here to congratulate your team on compiling the best reputation for successful missions of all Special Forces in the world!"
"Thank you SIR!" Dan Tobin spoke for his entire team. He was thrilled to have the recognition of Admiral Harrison, and knew that his team was going into action in Afghanistan.
"I also wanted to say a special 'Hello' to Robbie!" Arthur said. "His Dad's a personal friend of mine, and we're both proud of your record!"
"Thank you SIR!" Robbie replied. He had never told his teammates that he knew Admiral Harrison, and hoped they wouldn't tease him or be angry.
"We've selected your team for a very important mission in Afghanistan," Admiral Harrison said. "You'll get the details tomorrow, and then you'll all be busy studying maps and getting ready. Our country is at war, and we need to strike back at the terrorists who want to destroy the freedoms that we take for granted. This could be a war that we might not win, but it's one that we CAN'T LOSE! I'm counting on you men to complete this mission!"
Admiral Harrison left the Eagle Team, and the men were all proud that he had recognized their exemplary record and had chosen them for the next mission. They were determined to complete the mission, no matter what it was!
Robbie knew that Jennifer was pregnant again and due to deliver their baby during November. He wished that he could call home, but his team was preparing for a VERY difficult mission, and no phone calls or letters home were allowed. Before the team left for Afghanistan, they wrote new letters to their wives and girlfriends, hoping that the letters would never be delivered. They always had to face the facts that they might be killed in action, and quietly wrote their important letters home that would only be sent if they were dead.
Eagle Team was dropped by helicopter near Jalalabad and close to the Pakistani border. An informant had revealed that the Taliban was establishing a Command Center in that area and the SEALs were sent in to gather intelligence to be used by the Coalition Forces. Operation Scorpion was a very dangerous mission and the SEAL team would be wearing disguises to look like Muslim fighters.
Robbie was the "button man" and had the responsibility for carrying the radio and calling in air support if the team met strong resistance. His call sign was Eagle 7, and Lt. Dan Tobin was Eagle 1.
When Eagle Team got to the tiny village on the Pakistan border, they expected to find a small Taliban force and the Command Center. Instead, they walked right into a trap! Taliban militants opened fire on the team, and Robbie, Casey Miller, Larry Holcomb, and Jefferson Davis were wounded. The team only had AK 47 assault rifles and grenades, but the Taliban forces had RPG's and 50 caliber machine guns.
Dan Tobin had never seen his team in a worse position! They had eliminated many of the Taliban fighters, but reinforcements were streaming out of a large cave complex, and he knew that his team would be wiped out.
"Make the call!" Dan ordered Robbie. "We're cooked!"
Robbie used the radio to call in air support and heard the acknowledgement when he called for "Eraser in Sector 4876! Authorization Password "Rubber Ducky!"
Robbie had been shot in the right leg, and knew that he would slow his team down if they tried to retreat out of the firefight.
"Give me your weapons and ammo!" Robbie ordered. "I'll hold them off so you can extract!"
"We can't leave you!" Dan yelled back.
"We'll all die in this shithole if you don't carry our buddies out of here!" Robbie replied. "ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) for the air strike is 10 minutes! You know that I'm right! Now get the fuck out of here!"
Dan knew that Robbie was right, but he didn't want to leave Robbie behind and make Jennifer a widow. He listened to Robbie call for extraction in 30 minutes, and choked back his emotions to order Carl Jenkins, Adam Baker and Lee Walker to carry Casey, Jefferson and Larry out of the area. He knew that Casey and Jefferson would die without immediate medical attention, and led his men towards the extraction point.
The seven SEALs were choked with emotion when they heard the gunfire where Robbie was desperately trying to hold off the Taliban forces. Before they reached the extraction point, they heard the bombs exploding and the ground shaking. Robbie had made the ultimate sacrifice for his teammates, and they were devastated.
Admiral Harrison and Army General John Clayton were very upset to learn that Operation Scorpion had failed. Arthur Harrison was visibly shaken when he learned that search teams had gone to the village during daylight and found no traces of Robert Mathews. He prayed for good news, but all the reports said that the area was obliterated, and only body fragments were found. He knew that SEALs never wore any jewelry or "dog tags" when they were on a mission, and dreaded the thought that Robbie had most certainly died.
Dan Tobin made his report, and tried to control his emotions when he heard that no trace of Robbie had been found. He knew that Robbie was wounded, and could never have made it away from the tiny village before the bombing started. It was four days later when he was notified that Robbie was officially listed as MIAPD (Missing In Action, Presumed Dead). He knew that he would never find another SEAL with the talents of Robert Mathews, and grieved for the loss of his friend.
Back in Michigan, Jennifer was leaving the home of her parents for the first time since the birth of her daughter, Abigail Marie Mathews. She was going shopping with her mother and Marie, and hoped that Robbie would call home soon so she could tell him that he had a baby daughter.
David and Tom were babysitting, and hoped that the babies would sleep all the while the women were gone. They didn't mind feeding the boys who had started walking, but avoided changing dirty diapers at all costs! They were enjoying cups of coffee and Monte Cristo cigars when the doorbell rang. They both went to the front door and were shocked to see two Navy officers standing on the porch.
"OH GOD, NO!" David said. "NOT MY SON! PLEASE GOD, NO!"
"I have a registered letter for Jennifer Mathews," the Navy Lieutenant said.
"David, what's wrong?" Tom asked. He turned to the officers and said, "Jennifer isn't here right now, but I'm her father. I'll sign for the letter."
"Our condolences," the officer said before saluting and leaving.
David knew that Navy officers only delivered terrible news to the families of their sailors. He was shaking with fear when he watched Tom tear open the letter. His worst fears were realized when he read bits and pieces of the letter.
"The Secretary of the Navy regrets to inform you.....your husband, Robert David Mathews...Missing In Action and Presumed Dead......
Tom and David were overcome with grief, and hugged each other and sobbed for the terrible news about Robbie.
Carol was driving the van near her home and didn't notice the government vehicle leaving their driveway, but Marie did! Marie didn't want to think about the Navy officers delivering bad news about Robbie, but her instincts kicked in! Before Carol even stopped the van, Marie jumped out and saw David standing in the open doorway with tears flowing down his face. She ran towards David and heard him say, "Marie, we've lost our son!"
The impact of what David had just said to his wife again filled his body with grief and pain. It felt like someone had hit him with a baseball bat in the chest, and he staggered against the wall before collapsing on the Italian tile floor.
Stay tuned..............
Jacob_latson@ hotmail.com