When I was little Memorial Day was simply another day to be out of school. I had no family members who had served, at least that I knew of then. Years later I found out that an Uncle had served, but he never spoke of his time in the military. My Grandfather wanted to serve, but he was flat footed and back in his day that was an automatic disqualification. My Step-Father wanted to serve during Vietnam, even went so far as to fake his birth date on the paperwork, get on the bus ready to leave with some other guys when he was busted and sent back home. He was the only son in his family, so again an automatic disqualification...well and he was too young to enlist.
That kind of brings me to why I ended up enlisting...I was kind of in college...actually I was allowing my parents to pay for a school I wasn't actually attending. I was waiting tables to make money to hang out with my friends. I was pretty much going no where in a great big hurry. During one of my afternoon shifts at the restaurant I worked at (name withheld because I never really like their food) I ended up with a party of about 35 Air Force recruiters. I'd been asking for a sign telling me what I should do with my life and if that isn't a sign, I'm not sure what is. So I enlisted and have loved my time with the military.
I've deployed twice, as previously discussed in another post, and that is what leads me to what Memorial day means to me:
Memorial Day is a day that I get to rejoice and mourn for those who have served and given their lives so that I have the opportunity to raise my children in a free world. I am able to pray in public, walk beside my husband and not behind him, work, have friends...all of these things and thousands more I am able to do because of the sacrifice of others. I am able to drive a car, vote as a woman, have an opinion I can share in public...because of the men and women who went before me.
During my first deployment I worked with an Army unit in a small, isolated outpost in Afghanistan. These guys had been there for numerous months with only one another to look at and talk to. They had been placed in a desolate location with little food, water or fuel for heat. They were unable to use their vehicles because the roads were destroyed by the enemy. They truly had little contact with anyone outside of their location. My teammate and I were the first women they had seen in months, and the first people who had braved the elements of this location to come out and check on them. To say they were relieved was an understatement. They were excited to have people to talk to who hadn't heard every story they all already knew. They were excited that anyone thought enough of them to travel out to where they were to see them. They were really excited about the Girl Scout cookies we brought with us :). With all of the things working against these guys, there was one story they all wanted to share. The story of one of their platoon leaders who had lost his life, the story of how he lived verses the story of how he died. I won't be sharing this story here, because this is their story of his life that they should share if they ever feel it's time. I can however, say that this man, this Lt, this son, brother, husband gave his life for our country. for his men and for what he believed in. He gave his life because he felt it was his duty. He never thought twice about leading his men into battle and he was always the first one to go...this is what Memorial Day means to me.
During my second deployment I was working with a different Army unit, again in a remote location. These guys were days away from closing down their location and moving to a more secure location. They were so close to moving that they'd sent their cooks back already and were living off of MRE's...not the best eating if you ask me. They were living out of a school that the locals had built and then abandoned. The week prior to our arrival these brave men were hit while they were out training. They sustained several injured and one death. It was the death that led us to them. We were there to talk to them, help in anyway we could. What I learned is a story of a great guy, great friend, great husband and son. I man who loved his little sister, a man who doted on his new wife, a man who loved his brothers in arms so much that he ultimately gave his life to save them. He was assisting with another injured member when he died covering the injured solider and the medics with his own body. He died saving the lives of his brothers. This is what Memorial Day means to me.
I know their names and I've seen their faces, the men and women who volunteer to go wherever they are needed in order to allow us our freedoms. To protect us from the monsters who live in the dark. To work for nothing, in horrible conditions, with little contact with their own families. These men and women volunteered to do these things for you and me. The only option we have, the only option we should entertain is to salute these brave souls. These people who felt strongly enough about our freedoms that they chose to do a job that would at some point put their lives in danger. These are the true Hero's in our society. Not the football players or baseball players, not the movie stars or singers, not the protester's or politicians...the true hero's are our military men and women. The sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, father's and mother's who choose to live a life of an uncertain future so that others have one!
Today take a moment to thank those men and women for what they have done, for the lives we have lost, for the ones we have saved. Thank them for your freedoms, your families, your rights. Thank them for doing the job that few others would do!
"A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:8 ESV
That kind of brings me to why I ended up enlisting...I was kind of in college...actually I was allowing my parents to pay for a school I wasn't actually attending. I was waiting tables to make money to hang out with my friends. I was pretty much going no where in a great big hurry. During one of my afternoon shifts at the restaurant I worked at (name withheld because I never really like their food) I ended up with a party of about 35 Air Force recruiters. I'd been asking for a sign telling me what I should do with my life and if that isn't a sign, I'm not sure what is. So I enlisted and have loved my time with the military.
I've deployed twice, as previously discussed in another post, and that is what leads me to what Memorial day means to me:
Memorial Day is a day that I get to rejoice and mourn for those who have served and given their lives so that I have the opportunity to raise my children in a free world. I am able to pray in public, walk beside my husband and not behind him, work, have friends...all of these things and thousands more I am able to do because of the sacrifice of others. I am able to drive a car, vote as a woman, have an opinion I can share in public...because of the men and women who went before me.
During my first deployment I worked with an Army unit in a small, isolated outpost in Afghanistan. These guys had been there for numerous months with only one another to look at and talk to. They had been placed in a desolate location with little food, water or fuel for heat. They were unable to use their vehicles because the roads were destroyed by the enemy. They truly had little contact with anyone outside of their location. My teammate and I were the first women they had seen in months, and the first people who had braved the elements of this location to come out and check on them. To say they were relieved was an understatement. They were excited to have people to talk to who hadn't heard every story they all already knew. They were excited that anyone thought enough of them to travel out to where they were to see them. They were really excited about the Girl Scout cookies we brought with us :). With all of the things working against these guys, there was one story they all wanted to share. The story of one of their platoon leaders who had lost his life, the story of how he lived verses the story of how he died. I won't be sharing this story here, because this is their story of his life that they should share if they ever feel it's time. I can however, say that this man, this Lt, this son, brother, husband gave his life for our country. for his men and for what he believed in. He gave his life because he felt it was his duty. He never thought twice about leading his men into battle and he was always the first one to go...this is what Memorial Day means to me.
During my second deployment I was working with a different Army unit, again in a remote location. These guys were days away from closing down their location and moving to a more secure location. They were so close to moving that they'd sent their cooks back already and were living off of MRE's...not the best eating if you ask me. They were living out of a school that the locals had built and then abandoned. The week prior to our arrival these brave men were hit while they were out training. They sustained several injured and one death. It was the death that led us to them. We were there to talk to them, help in anyway we could. What I learned is a story of a great guy, great friend, great husband and son. I man who loved his little sister, a man who doted on his new wife, a man who loved his brothers in arms so much that he ultimately gave his life to save them. He was assisting with another injured member when he died covering the injured solider and the medics with his own body. He died saving the lives of his brothers. This is what Memorial Day means to me.
I know their names and I've seen their faces, the men and women who volunteer to go wherever they are needed in order to allow us our freedoms. To protect us from the monsters who live in the dark. To work for nothing, in horrible conditions, with little contact with their own families. These men and women volunteered to do these things for you and me. The only option we have, the only option we should entertain is to salute these brave souls. These people who felt strongly enough about our freedoms that they chose to do a job that would at some point put their lives in danger. These are the true Hero's in our society. Not the football players or baseball players, not the movie stars or singers, not the protester's or politicians...the true hero's are our military men and women. The sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, father's and mother's who choose to live a life of an uncertain future so that others have one!
Today take a moment to thank those men and women for what they have done, for the lives we have lost, for the ones we have saved. Thank them for your freedoms, your families, your rights. Thank them for doing the job that few others would do!
"A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:8 ESV
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