Veteran's Day Thoughts

This is my favorite picture of Patrick in uniform. It was taken while he was at work several months before we were married. It makes me laugh every time I see it!


I never thought much about Veteran's Day until I met and married my husband. Like many people, I thought of it as just another holiday. Only two of my relatives had served in the military - my grandfather served in the Navy during World War II and my uncle served in the Army during the Vietnam War. Neither spoke much about their service, until I brought Patrick home.

My uncle Marty on occasion would reminisce about his Army years, but my grandfather didn't talk very much at all about his Navy service. So it was a great surprise the first time Patrick met my family and my grandfather began talking about his years in the Navy. My grandfather served as an officer during WWII as a Radioman - which just happened to have been Patrick's job. They talked for hours about the Navy, about how the duties of the Radioman had changed, and of course about the habits and port calls of young sailors. I remember how fascinated my mother was because she had never heard most of the stories her father was sharing. It was amazing to see my grandfather almost look relieved that he had found someone he could talk about his memories with - someone who understood what he was talking about.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure to meet some amazing veterans. I love to listen to them open up and talk about things that they may not have even thought about in years.

I have laughed with an amazing friend I made in Virginia who served for 30 years in the Marine Corps. He would tell me hilarious stories about his 3 tours in 'Nam. I know he had seen some horrible things, but he always was able to put a positive and fun spin on his memories. But I have also cried with a friend who came to me on the first day of the Gulf War with tears in his eyes as he described the horror and injustices that he and so many others faced when they came home after that very same war.

I am so proud of all of my veteran's - my husband, my family, my friends. Whether they spent a day in uniform, are retired or are still serving as a reservist or on active duty. I never had the strength of character to put my life on the line, but you did. For that, and for so much more, I thank you!

The following two quotes are actually the reason why I've been thinking about all of this today. They are posts that some of my military friends have posted as their Facebook statuses. Let's hope that we can remember these thoughts whenever we think of our brothers and sisters who are serving in the service.

I am a Veteran, and a Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life. Regardless of personal political views it is an honor to serve one's country, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact.

It was completely my honor and my pleasure to do so. I would to it again in a New York Minute. So many before me that served with great honor never made it back from wherever they served. Many more did make it back in different iterations of themselves. I firmly believe that tomorrow, Veterans Day, is about those who gave the ultimate price or lost a significant part of themselves for our great country. Luckily, I was not in those categories. If you see an old vet, a wounded vet, or a vet that seems lost, go thank them, hug them or do something to make their day Thursday.

Last but not least are two quotes that I found for those of us who sat at home. We waited while our loved one's were out fighting to defend us. I personally think these quotes are not only for the military spouses, but also for all who loves their veterans.

“You are a patriot — the sort of citizen that all of us should be, but so few of us are. You live with sacrifice, because you believe in the rights and ideals that your husband defends. Although you wear no uniform, you are a part of that defense — a vital link in the chain of freedom. Although you wear no medals and will reap no glory on the field of battle, you are hero in the truest sense of the word. You are a military spouse.”(Gene Thomas, from the article “The Hardest Job in the Military”)

Missing someone gets easier everyday because even though you are one day further from the last time you saw them, you are one day closer to the next time you will. --Author Unknown.