It was on a sunny Friday before my last week of duty with my unit in Germany, when they gave me my present. It is a tradition in the German Air Force to give something from the whole unit to the person who is leaving. On this day, it was my turn; I knew it the moment we had stepped outside the building and lined-up as we normally did every Monday morning. We were staying there, all lined up, and waiting for our Major to come outside. Everyone was hoping that this would be over soon because we were ready to leave for the weekend. Finally, our unit leader walked down the line and stopped in the middle. "Attention!" he yelled, and everyone stopped talking; everyone's eyes looked straightforward without any movement, and all I could hear were the songs of some birds. It was time. He called my name. When I stepped in front of my unit, I had no idea what they were planning, but I was very excited about this moment. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. After a few words from my unit leader and first sergeant about my career, my qualities, and some funny situations I had in this unit, they were ready to give me my present. My Major reached for a plastic bag, and pulled out a white long-sleeve shirt. While he was holding it in the air to show it to the rest of the unit, he told me that this shirt should help me to remember my unit, and he called it "The Leaver Shirt."
             It was not just a white shirt; it was specially made for me. The front of the shirt has a picture of a German city-limit sign with my hometown and my destination on it. Since my plan was to leave my country to come to the United States, this would help me to remember where I came from. On the back, it has another picture. This picture is a yellow military plate with the black number "0" on it, which represents the days I had left in this unit, and the words "it is your own fault if you do not leave now" ar...