Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Every year since the Iraq War, a call has gone out at church and various other places for veterans to stand and be recognized. My husband and I both get to stand and it never fails to cause me to remember how I felt when I wore that uniform and how glad I am that we get to stand together. Our son especially glows with pride as he sees us stand and be recognized.
I was right out of college when I started to serve and excited about the challenges that would face me. It was a feeling of participating in something much bigger than myself, a feeling of being set apart. I never went into a combat situation but I knew that that was always a possibility and was willing to go. I have friends that would be very reluctant to have their children enter the military and are surprised that my husband and I would't feel the same way given the way of the world today. Many of our friends tell stories of coming to the Lord through the friendship of Christians whom they had served with.
It seems I have been surrounded by the military for all of my life. My father served for over 20 years and gave my brother and me our first salute. We had cadets from the Air Force Academy at our house nearly every weekend for 15 years. I'm adopted and my biological father was serving in the Navy when I was born. My little brother is now serving in Iraq and I am so proud of him.
He's a Lietenant Colonel and has worked very hard and sacrificed a great deal to get where he is. He is great and honorable man. His wife and their two kids are at Eisselson AFB in Fairbanks in the cold and the approaching darkness without him. His wife does all that she can to support him through the deployments, moves and long hours over which neither has much control. At times I am envious that he is still on active duty. The military provides a built in sense of community wherever you go. There's always the 'what's next.' But there's also a loss each time you leave.
My husband and I chose to get out for a multiple of reasons and I know that we made the right choice for us. But I can't help and well up with pride as I think about what we were a part of. Wearing that uniform, knowing that I was serving my country is a source of pride I will always carry with me. I thank my father for giving us that love of country and love of the military. I say thank you to all my fellow vets and those that are still on active duty this weekend.
