Veterans Day

I have so much to be thankful for on this Veterans Day. I am thankful for my family members that served our country. My grandfather fought in WWII and received a Purple Heart. The one time he ever talked to me about it, I was very young. He explained that his best friend was shot and killed. They were in a fox hole when his battle buddy needed to use the restroom. My grandfather told him to go in his pants. When he stood up to go he was shot in the head. My grandfather had to sit in the fox hole with his deceased buddy. He normally didn’t talk about it and I don’t know why he told me that day. He cried when he told me his story while I sat on his lap in his recliner. I didn’t know why he was so sad but I knew it was from a great loss. He received his Purple Heart when a grenade exploded and he received a Japanese sword and rifle while in the hospital. I miss him and now in my adulthood I want to know the full story.

My uncle on my mother’s side was in Vietnam. He served two tours overseas. He was exposed to Agent Orange and could never have children. He died from lung cancer at the young age of 52. I remember I was visiting my grandmother and my uncle was there. We were on the front porch and the sun was burning my eyes. I was pretty young at the time and didn’t understand war or sacrifice. My uncle had been drinking and he was looking at the medals he earned while serving his country. He was angry and sad and I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what to say but I listened to his story. He clearly had PTSD but he never got help and lived alone with his demons. I never knew that I was going to experience PTSD from my husband.

I am so thankful for my grandfather and uncle’s service. I never grew up knowing I lived an hour from the 101st Airborne. I remember wearing a yellow ribbon on my shirt at school one day during Desert Storm. We had a friend whose mom was in the Navy but I didn’t really know what that meant. I loved her uniform though. I married a soldier and then I became a true patriotic woman. I became so immensely thankful for the service of our men and women in uniform. I tied the yellow ribbon around our tree, I hung my gold star service flag in my window each time Bryan was deployed, and I prayed and wished that my husband would come home safe. Bryan worked insanely long hours, I rarely saw him. He was always at trainings or in the field preparing for his next deployment. On Veterans Day I am proud that I married my soldier. I am thankful for each and every service member’s sacrifice. I will attend the Veterans Day parade with tears in my eyes and my head held high.