All marriages have their ups and downs, but I'd venture to say that military marriages endure the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. Take for instance the story of Lance Cpl. Shane E. Kielion and his young wife, April. The couple's story was featured in a FOXNews special titled, "Breaking Point: Company of Heroes." I saw the special months ago, and I haven't been able to get April Kielion out of my mind since.
While Shane was busy cleaning out the rat's nest in Fallujah, April was at home, pregnant with their first child. On November 15, 2004, Shane Kielion was shot by a sniper. Thirty minutes later, April gave birth to Shane Kielion Jr, completely unaware that her husband had been shot.
In Nebraska, as India Company was at war in Fallujah, April Kielion was in a hospital. Shane, 23, was shot by a sniper 30 minutes before his wife gave birth to their child via an emergency Caesarean section. The baby's name was Shane Kielion Jr.
"He came out just screaming," April said of her son.
"It was the most amazing sound, you know, ever. And I remember, you know, laying on the table and telling the nurse, 'OK ... get the Red Cross message through. ... My husband's over there. I don't care what you have to do - do it now,'" she said.
But the Marine would never receive the message.
"It's pretty safe to say that, uh, Shane Kielion was passing over as his son was coming in," said Lt. Col. Pat Malay, commander of the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, which includes India Company.
Jubilant friends and family members anticipated Shane's call to inform him of his new baby boy.
"We were just waiting for a phone call from Shane," April said. "Everyone, you know, is like, 'Has he called yet? Has he called yet?'" she said.
After seeing Shane Jr. for the first time, Cindy Armstrong remembered: "I said, 'He looks just like Shane.' And he did. And he still does, to this day."
"It was a very happy time," she said.
But the joy was cut short when two Marines in uniform showed up at the hospital.
That was when April Kielion's father entered the room.
"I said, 'April, sit down,'" Don Armstrong said he told her. "And she goes, 'Why, dad? What are you here for?' And then she saw the Marines standing in the doorway, and she said, 'No, dad. No.'"
"It was tough," April said. "I mean, it's like, how can you have such a high and then such a low at the same time?
The highest of highs, and the lowest of lows.
