Please Remember Our Nation’s Veterans

I took a look at the calendar this morning and saw that November 10th is Veteran’s Day. I grew up an Army brat. My father met my mother in Berlin, Germany. She hardly spoke much English when he met her. I was born in the Rheinland Pfalz area, Kaiserslautern, Germany known to the Americans as “K Town” in Landstuhl Army Hospital. Since my father was sent away so much, German was my first language! I recall having a tutor sitting next to me until 3rd grade helping me with my English.

Having been stationed in Germany, I was one of the lucky ones to have been able to travel around Europe with my family. We used to take the double decker bus tours. We visited Italy, Austria, Switzerland and France. On these tours I recall stopping by the USO agencies. We were also stationed in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. When my father got out of the service, this is where he wanted to live. He liked being out in the country, so we lived in a house on an acre of land.

He had served in the Vietnam war, and was one of the first troops there to have agent orange get on him. He passed away in 1997 after a long, agonizing bout of agent orange related prostate cancer in the home I grew up in in Missouri. I lost my father at the age of 22. He was the nicest man that had given many the shirt off his back. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss and think of him. It perpetually saddens me that I was not ever able to welcome him into my house, and have him over for dinner as he passed away the day we made closing on our home. My husband was also in the service, and was just getting out shortly before it all happened.

I wanted to commemorate all of our nation’s veterans this veteran’s day and extend a most grateful “thank you” for putting yourself out there for all of us. Those of you that are not veterans, be sure to remember those around you who are, and those that lost their lives for us, and remind them that they are much appreciated.