‘Scars of DUI’: An almost impossible funeral

  • Published
  • By Hannah Brandon
  • Air Force spouse
Hi there, I'm a spouse here at Grand Forks AFB. My husband and I have been here roughly a year.

About a month ago my husband, who is in the Communications Squadron, received a text message the evening prior to his day off. He was instructed to come in the following morning in full service blues because someone in his squadron had received an underage DUI.

Needless to say, we were pretty ticked off. We had plans for the entire day because it just so happened that we both had that day off from work. However, he was being punished for something he didn't do and had no control of.

I have never been drunk in my entire life, which is why I usually get an eye-roll or two when I talk about the disdain I feel for drunk driving. But I have a reason.

Whether anyone wants to admit it, driving drunk is one of the most selfish, cocky, and abhorrent acts someone can do.

I'm well aware that no one drinks and drives with the intent that they want to murder people, but it doesn't matter because that's what happens.

My uncle, who I would visit every time my family and I would go down to Phoenix, was a wonderful man. He was sweet, caring, and as a little girl I remember looking forward to seeing him every time we would travel.

My uncle is now dead, and I'm sure you guessed it; he was killed by a drunk driver.

People need to wake up and realize the reality of driving when you have had alcohol. Do you really think that anyone that kills people due to drunk driving decided that night that it would be okay to murder someone or an entire family?

Every single person that chooses to drive feels the exact same way you do when you're contemplating calling a ride or not. They feel like they're fine, the chances are slim, and they've done it before and it's been fine so no big deal!

It was almost impossible to have a normal funeral for my uncle because they had a hard time putting his body back together. He was riding on his motorcycle when he was suddenly smashed into by a drunk driving a large truck. They had to pull pieces of my uncle from the driver's grill.

Do you think the driver planned on that? I sure don't.

I know how frustrated my husband gets when he is called in on his day off because of a foolish decision someone made. But there's a larger picture. You are risking other people's families, other people's moms and dads, sons and daughters, innocent people who didn't make a stupid choice yet will pay the ultimate consequence.

Would you be okay gambling on your loved ones' lives? Because every single time you drive intoxicated, you are gambling with the life of somebody's loved one.

Please stop having the redundant and immature mentality that nothing is ever going to happen. It happens all the time.

My take on this DUI problem? Quit being so selfish.