Thank you to all who have so willingly and generously served the people of this county in the armed forces. I especially honor my Dad, and my Dad-in-law today. They both served in the Navy during the conflict of WWII. My Dad was on an aircraft carrier, the U.S. Puget Sound. He was a clerk who handled the payroll for the men aboard his ship. My Dad-in-law was on several different ships, serving in the 'mess' as a baker.
You might think that these jobs don't sound very flashy, and especially not very dangerous.
My Dad came down with appendicitis a few weeks after arriving on ship. His surgery was performed quite literally in a hallway, on a tiny table by a medic who was new to his job as well. At other times he was required to carry the payroll from the banks on shore back to the ship. He said that those were the only times that he was thankful to be carrying a gun, as he walked through the alleyways and crime ridden streets of some of the most dangerous cities in the far east.
My Dad-in-law can bake a mean peach cobbler! He laughs when talking about the huge bags of flour and cans of fruit that were required to feed a ship full of hungry sailors. He tells stories of food poisoning when the entire ship feasted on rotten turkeys for Thanksgiving. He jokes that he was sea-sick from the time he set foot on a ship until the day of his discharge. This man who helped feed our soldiers a 'slice of home' was wounded and received the Purple Heart.
I remember being in an airport shortly after Desert Storm ended, and watching as a plane load of our men and women arrived safely home. As one young man passed by me, I said 'thank you, soldier'. He laughed and said, "Mam, all I do is drive a truck!" I shook my head and told him that no job is unimportant when lives hang in the balance.
Having lived in many places, and experienced many cultures and countries, I value this country above all others. I am thankful to be an American where I am free to speak, believe, and live as a child of the Lord God. I value that beyond words.
If you value your freedom, thank a veteran!
Be blessed,
