Veteran’s day is even more special to me this year because my sweetie passed away a year ago. You could tell he had been in the military just by watching his mannerisms. His shoes were always polished and shiny. His shirts and jeans had a crisp crease, and all of his clothes and closets were “dress right dress”. He lived by a code, always honoring his country, flag and family. A flag always hung by our front door. He loved our neighborhood and would go out every night to patrol it and make sure it was safe for all of us. He was always “packin” as they say, because he wanted to be prepared for any contingency. He believed in being strong and teaching his son and grandsons the meaning of patriotism, democracy and Christianity. Now, there are a few downsides to military service and if you are a veteran, you too may have dealt with military dreams. He was always dreaming of fighting and would kick the stuffing out of me in his sleep! Many times I listened to his stories of being afraid of the snipers that attacked at night, of standing watch for 2 days straight. I listened as he described eating food out of his helmet and then using it to wash out of. He wore the same wet clothes for days on end. The stories he could tell! Often, I was compelled to ask him how he endured. Without fail he would answer, “You just did what you had to do. I didn’t even think about it, I did whatever was needed at the time.” To which I always replied “You did it because you cared about the men and women that depended on you!” His Code of Honor was what he lived by so it was befitting that we held a military funeral for him. It was beautiful, dignified and memorable, and Steve would have loved it. On this Veteran’s Day, I hope you will take a moment to honor our veterans. A military man to the very end, Steve said just before he died that anyone wishing to honor him could do so by donating to the Wounded Warrior Organization. It helps men and women who have returned from service to get the medical and financial help they need if they are wounded in defense our country, our beliefs or fellow Americans. He made it a point to thank the veterans and servicemen he met not just on Veteran’s Day but anytime they crossed his path. It was important to him that we take time to say “Thank You” to the veterans and servicemen because they are protecting our country and our lives. So here I am on this very special Veteran’s Day with my heart full of memories, and I just want to say for my husband and for myself, Thank You and God Bless America.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:19:35 +0000