December 12, 2011 we got up to get the kids off to school. Frank was flying nights that week so he was home that morning. We got Zoe out to the bus, hung around with the boys , they watched the obnoxious Kia Hamster Party Rock commercial about 5 times, we danced around in the kitchen, laughed... normal "us" stuff. I had errands to run and he came with me so I wouldn't have to drag the toddlers out of the van every time. Came home, put the littles down for their nap and spent some nice time together before he headed out to work at 11:30. He kissed me goodbye, said "I love ya, see ya tonight" and got in his truck and drove off happy. He called me a few minutes later and said "Hey, would you close the garage door? I love you!".I went on with my day, Hunter had a doctor appointment that afternoon... our last one for a month. It was a cold day, but after we got back from the hospital I put the littles in the stroller and we were standing in our driveway when a Kiowa flew over the house low and slow. I knew it was him, I took a video of Liam yelling. We loved seeing Daddy fly over the house. Now that I think about it... that was the last glimpse we got of him. Flying out over Puget Sound... doing what he loved.
I got the big kids home from the bus stop and did our normal evening stuff. After the kids went to bed I was cleaning up my office and putzing around on the computer. I was waiting up for him, figured he'd be home around midnight. By 12:30 I decided to go to bed. I heated up the rice bags to warm up his side of the bed ( He came home like a block of ice after flying at night up here), I did that so he wouldn't put his cold feet on ME when he slipped into the bed. He loved that I did that for him.
I rolled over and fell asleep and woke up with a start at 2:40 and immediately felt something was wrong. He should have been home by then. I sent a text at 2:43 "Babe,where are you?" Didn't get a response. Got out of bed, looked out the window to check for his truck, paced a few minutes. Got back in bed, trying to shake it off. But I felt seriously off. I texted him "Worried here-are you okay?" I laid down but my head was What If-ing already.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang. I know I freaked out but I also thought " Oh crap,he's home and I left the chain on the door!". The dog bolted down the stairs, I started walking down the stairs and got midway down and could see through the glass door. I could see guys in uniforms standing on my doorstep. My knees kind of buckled and I started shaking really bad. I walked slowly the rest of the way at one point thinking " Maybe they're cops, maybe he had a car accident". But I opened the door and two Army uniformed men were there. And I knew, but I didn't knew. I can't remember exactly what they said.They asked if they could come in and I ( must have been in shock) said " If I let two men in this house at 3am Frank's gonna kick my ass." The chaplain shook his head and said ' No, ma'am, he's not." And that's when I realized what they were there for. I asked them " Oh God, who was with him???" They couldn't tell me. I don't remember at what point I found out later that it was 3 others that died as well. I let them in and remember that slow walk to the living room and just shaking so bad and being so cold. I sat on the couch and just kept saying "I don't believe this." The guys were so nice, they were upset too, one of them read the official statement. something to the effect of " I regret to inform you that while flying a training mission last night on Dec 12 your husband CW3 Frank Buonicont ( except he pronounced it like picante) was killed ". Murder my heart. I'm sitting here typing this 19 days later and I still can't believe it. I went into complete shock. They asked if I wanted to call anyone and I had to go upstairs to get my phone. I called our friends Bobby & Melody who live down the street, Bobby is a pilot in Frank's troop too. I called Frank's brother so he could go tell their parents. I called our good friend Lori, who is also a pilot up here.
I don't remember much about that morning. Bobby,Melody and Lori got here pretty quickly, we decided to let the kids go to school without telling them. We had to to hold it together. It broke my heart putting Ronin on that school bus knowing that when he got home I was going to tell him the worst news ever. I know I spent the day just in shock. But we laughed, we cried, we laughed some more, we cried some more. I had to call about a million people and deliver the news. Every time I said it I still didn't believe it. About mid afternoon I finally just laid down on the bathroom floor and sobbed until I couldn't anymore. As the hours rolled by and it was time for kids to start getting home I just wanted the world to end. The thought of telling my poor sweet kids that their Daddy wasn't ever coming home again..... I still can't believe I had to do it.
But I did. I took Zoe for a short walk as soon as she got off the bus. It was awful. I took Ronin up to his room and told him. It was awful, he's 6 and he's our sensitive one. He just cried and cried so loudly. The other grownups in the house went outside, it was too much to listen to. I just sat and held him and cried too. Later I quietly told Liam that Daddy's helicopter crashed and that he was in Heaven now and wouldn't be coming home. I laid on head on my bed and started crying and he reached his little hand out and said "Don't cry Mommy, Daddy be home tomorrow!". I half wished they were all tiny and wouldn't understand, but on the other hand I know that at 3 years old Liam won't remember much later on. And that breaks my heart.
The day ended somehow, I don't remember. People were already flying in, family, friends from back East. Thank God for all of them surrounding us. I put the kids to bed, prayed and cried with them.
I am thankful for the weekend we had together as a family before he died. On Sunday we went and chopped down our Christmas tree. Frank made spaghetti and meatballs for us, Lori and Melody & Bobby and their 3 kids. I have no regrets about our time spent, I know he was happy when he left this earth. He died doing what he loved and he died leaving people feeling loved and blessed.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
The Day The World Changed.
On the evening of December 12, 2011, my husband CW3 Frank Buoniconti and 3 other pilots were killed when their Kiowa helicopters collided during a training flight on Fort Lewis WA.
December 12, 2011 we got up to get the kids off to school. Frank was flying nights that week so he was home that morning. We got Zoe out to the bus, hung around with the boys , they watched the obnoxious Kia Hamster Party Rock commercial about 5 times, we danced around in the kitchen, laughed... normal "us" stuff. I had errands to run and he came with me so I wouldn't have to drag the toddlers out of the van every time. Came home, put the littles down for their nap and spent some nice time together before he headed out to work at 11:30. He kissed me goodbye, said "I love ya, see ya tonight" and got in his truck and drove off happy. He called me a few minutes later and said "Hey, would you close the garage door? I love you!".I went on with my day, Hunter had a doctor appointment that afternoon... our last one for a month. It was a cold day, but after we got back from the hospital I put the littles in the stroller and we were standing in our driveway when a Kiowa flew over the house low and slow. I knew it was him, I took a video of Liam yelling. We loved seeing Daddy fly over the house. Now that I think about it... that was the last glimpse we got of him. Flying out over Puget Sound... doing what he loved.
I got the big kids home from the bus stop and did our normal evening stuff. After the kids went to bed I was cleaning up my office and putzing around on the computer. I was waiting up for him, figured he'd be home around midnight. By 12:30 I decided to go to bed. I heated up the rice bags to warm up his side of the bed ( He came home like a block of ice after flying at night up here), I did that so he wouldn't put his cold feet on ME when he slipped into the bed. He loved that I did that for him.
I rolled over and fell asleep and woke up with a start at 2:40 and immediately felt something was wrong. He should have been home by then. I sent a text at 2:43 "Babe,where are you?" Didn't get a response. Got out of bed, looked out the window to check for his truck, paced a few minutes. Got back in bed, trying to shake it off. But I felt seriously off. I texted him "Worried here-are you okay?" I laid down but my head was What If-ing already.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang. I know I freaked out but I also thought " Oh crap,he's home and I left the chain on the door!". The dog bolted down the stairs, I started walking down the stairs and got midway down and could see through the glass door. I could see guys in uniforms standing on my doorstep. My knees kind of buckled and I started shaking really bad. I walked slowly the rest of the way at one point thinking " Maybe they're cops, maybe he had a car accident". But I opened the door and two Army uniformed men were there. And I knew, but I didn't knew. I can't remember exactly what they said.They asked if they could come in and I ( must have been in shock) said " If I let two men in this house at 3am Frank's gonna kick my ass." The chaplain shook his head and said ' No, ma'am, he's not." And that's when I realized what they were there for. I asked them " Oh God, who was with him???" They couldn't tell me. I don't remember at what point I found out later that it was 3 others that died as well. I let them in and remember that slow walk to the living room and just shaking so bad and being so cold. I sat on the couch and just kept saying "I don't believe this." The guys were so nice, they were upset too, one of them read the official statement. something to the effect of " I regret to inform you that while flying a training mission last night on Dec 12 your husband CW3 Frank Buonicont ( except he pronounced it like picante) was killed ". Murder my heart. I'm sitting here typing this 19 days later and I still can't believe it. I went into complete shock. They asked if I wanted to call anyone and I had to go upstairs to get my phone. I called our friends Bobby & Melody who live down the street, Bobby is a pilot in Frank's troop too. I called Frank's brother so he could go tell their parents. I called our good friend Lori, who is also a pilot up here.
I don't remember much about that morning. Bobby,Melody and Lori got here pretty quickly, we decided to let the kids go to school without telling them. We had to to hold it together. It broke my heart putting Ronin on that school bus knowing that when he got home I was going to tell him the worst news ever. I know I spent the day just in shock. But we laughed, we cried, we laughed some more, we cried some more. I had to call about a million people and deliver the news. Every time I said it I still didn't believe it. About mid afternoon I finally just laid down on the bathroom floor and sobbed until I couldn't anymore. As the hours rolled by and it was time for kids to start getting home I just wanted the world to end. The thought of telling my poor sweet kids that their Daddy wasn't ever coming home again..... I still can't believe I had to do it.
But I did. I took Zoe for a short walk as soon as she got off the bus. It was awful. I took Ronin up to his room and told him. It was awful, he's 6 and he's our sensitive one. He just cried and cried so loudly. The other grownups in the house went outside, it was too much to listen to. I just sat and held him and cried too. Later I quietly told Liam that Daddy's helicopter crashed and that he was in Heaven now and wouldn't be coming home. I laid on head on my bed and started crying and he reached his little hand out and said "Don't cry Mommy, Daddy be home tomorrow!". I half wished they were all tiny and wouldn't understand, but on the other hand I know that at 3 years old Liam won't remember much later on. And that breaks my heart.
The day ended somehow, I don't remember. People were already flying in, family, friends from back East. Thank God for all of them surrounding us. I put the kids to bed, prayed and cried with them.
I am thankful for the weekend we had together as a family before he died. On Sunday we went and chopped down our Christmas tree. Frank made spaghetti and meatballs for us, Lori and Melody & Bobby and their 3 kids. I have no regrets about our time spent, I know he was happy when he left this earth. He died doing what he loved and he died leaving people feeling loved and blessed.
December 12, 2011 we got up to get the kids off to school. Frank was flying nights that week so he was home that morning. We got Zoe out to the bus, hung around with the boys , they watched the obnoxious Kia Hamster Party Rock commercial about 5 times, we danced around in the kitchen, laughed... normal "us" stuff. I had errands to run and he came with me so I wouldn't have to drag the toddlers out of the van every time. Came home, put the littles down for their nap and spent some nice time together before he headed out to work at 11:30. He kissed me goodbye, said "I love ya, see ya tonight" and got in his truck and drove off happy. He called me a few minutes later and said "Hey, would you close the garage door? I love you!".I went on with my day, Hunter had a doctor appointment that afternoon... our last one for a month. It was a cold day, but after we got back from the hospital I put the littles in the stroller and we were standing in our driveway when a Kiowa flew over the house low and slow. I knew it was him, I took a video of Liam yelling. We loved seeing Daddy fly over the house. Now that I think about it... that was the last glimpse we got of him. Flying out over Puget Sound... doing what he loved.
I got the big kids home from the bus stop and did our normal evening stuff. After the kids went to bed I was cleaning up my office and putzing around on the computer. I was waiting up for him, figured he'd be home around midnight. By 12:30 I decided to go to bed. I heated up the rice bags to warm up his side of the bed ( He came home like a block of ice after flying at night up here), I did that so he wouldn't put his cold feet on ME when he slipped into the bed. He loved that I did that for him.
I rolled over and fell asleep and woke up with a start at 2:40 and immediately felt something was wrong. He should have been home by then. I sent a text at 2:43 "Babe,where are you?" Didn't get a response. Got out of bed, looked out the window to check for his truck, paced a few minutes. Got back in bed, trying to shake it off. But I felt seriously off. I texted him "Worried here-are you okay?" I laid down but my head was What If-ing already.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang. I know I freaked out but I also thought " Oh crap,he's home and I left the chain on the door!". The dog bolted down the stairs, I started walking down the stairs and got midway down and could see through the glass door. I could see guys in uniforms standing on my doorstep. My knees kind of buckled and I started shaking really bad. I walked slowly the rest of the way at one point thinking " Maybe they're cops, maybe he had a car accident". But I opened the door and two Army uniformed men were there. And I knew, but I didn't knew. I can't remember exactly what they said.They asked if they could come in and I ( must have been in shock) said " If I let two men in this house at 3am Frank's gonna kick my ass." The chaplain shook his head and said ' No, ma'am, he's not." And that's when I realized what they were there for. I asked them " Oh God, who was with him???" They couldn't tell me. I don't remember at what point I found out later that it was 3 others that died as well. I let them in and remember that slow walk to the living room and just shaking so bad and being so cold. I sat on the couch and just kept saying "I don't believe this." The guys were so nice, they were upset too, one of them read the official statement. something to the effect of " I regret to inform you that while flying a training mission last night on Dec 12 your husband CW3 Frank Buonicont ( except he pronounced it like picante) was killed ". Murder my heart. I'm sitting here typing this 19 days later and I still can't believe it. I went into complete shock. They asked if I wanted to call anyone and I had to go upstairs to get my phone. I called our friends Bobby & Melody who live down the street, Bobby is a pilot in Frank's troop too. I called Frank's brother so he could go tell their parents. I called our good friend Lori, who is also a pilot up here.
I don't remember much about that morning. Bobby,Melody and Lori got here pretty quickly, we decided to let the kids go to school without telling them. We had to to hold it together. It broke my heart putting Ronin on that school bus knowing that when he got home I was going to tell him the worst news ever. I know I spent the day just in shock. But we laughed, we cried, we laughed some more, we cried some more. I had to call about a million people and deliver the news. Every time I said it I still didn't believe it. About mid afternoon I finally just laid down on the bathroom floor and sobbed until I couldn't anymore. As the hours rolled by and it was time for kids to start getting home I just wanted the world to end. The thought of telling my poor sweet kids that their Daddy wasn't ever coming home again..... I still can't believe I had to do it.
But I did. I took Zoe for a short walk as soon as she got off the bus. It was awful. I took Ronin up to his room and told him. It was awful, he's 6 and he's our sensitive one. He just cried and cried so loudly. The other grownups in the house went outside, it was too much to listen to. I just sat and held him and cried too. Later I quietly told Liam that Daddy's helicopter crashed and that he was in Heaven now and wouldn't be coming home. I laid on head on my bed and started crying and he reached his little hand out and said "Don't cry Mommy, Daddy be home tomorrow!". I half wished they were all tiny and wouldn't understand, but on the other hand I know that at 3 years old Liam won't remember much later on. And that breaks my heart.
The day ended somehow, I don't remember. People were already flying in, family, friends from back East. Thank God for all of them surrounding us. I put the kids to bed, prayed and cried with them.
I am thankful for the weekend we had together as a family before he died. On Sunday we went and chopped down our Christmas tree. Frank made spaghetti and meatballs for us, Lori and Melody & Bobby and their 3 kids. I have no regrets about our time spent, I know he was happy when he left this earth. He died doing what he loved and he died leaving people feeling loved and blessed.
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