Capt. Eric Cloutier with his wife, Melanie, and their daughter, Hannah. |
Melanie Cloutier has been a Marine Corps wife for more than five years. Her husband, Capt. Eric Cloutier, is deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Melanie just completed a master’s degree in education and is seeking work as an elementary school teacher. The couple has one child, a 19-month-old daughter named Hannah.
Dear Eric,
The weeks are slowly adding up. It seems like an eternity since we said our good-byes. I miss you so much. Some days are harder than others and the emotions take over and the tears fall. Some days it’s hard for even me to understand all the emotions this separation has brought about. There is sadness for you because you are missing the next several months of our young daughter’s life, months that can never be repeated. There is loneliness that attacks me when the day has ended and you are not there with me. The emptiness creeps in at the most unexpected times — happy times, sad times, or just any time I’d normally share something with you, my best friend.
The pride I feel when I hear a patriotic song, see our great flag, or witness the courage and dedication of so many American heroes helps me understand what it is that has led you to live your life as a Marine. I cannot express in words how proud I am of you. Please know that whether we are together or apart, you are forever in my heart. You are my whole life. Please don’t worry about us — we are a Marine Corps family and we will be fine. We are looking forward to the day when you are able to return home and the evil that has taken you from us has been destroyed.
Semper Fidelis,
Melanie
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