Veterans Day | MKG- Memories-Keepsakes-Gifts

I have thought of all of the Veterans today… as we honor them in some way…

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“MY” Veteran had a good report Wednesday…

Chemo still keeping cancer at bay…

Doctor said, “It’s a good report!”…

nothing new on scan and levels doing good…

We celebrate by a squeeze of hands… and a hug later…

My “Energizer Bunny”… is still going!… u14839071

and we feel blessed…

We were given a card by some students from a local school as we came in the VA Hospital’s entrance…

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It’s nice to be remembered!…

Today Veteran’s can have a free meal at a lot of restaurants… by showing their ID…

Nice gesture!…

It’s been 47 years since Bobby was in Viet Nam… the same year we got married… bobby-vietnam-4

It definitely changes lives… when in combat…

overseas… having to depend on the friends (comrades) you have met and made… bobby-vietnam-5

A lasting relationship!… k4908288

Viet Nam Veterans came home to a different situation than most servicemen…

They were hardly given a heads up…

Basically the people ignored them… or thought of them as less… since Viet Nam was not considered a war!…

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How come my husband was in fire fights…

How come my husband was trained on guns, tanks, any weapons that were used…

How come he saw his friends killed in action…

and how come he was under mortar fires… attacks… and had shrapnel in his body…

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You just have to shake your head…

and fight for what is honorably yours…

which is what we have had to do for the last 47 years…

PROOF!… is all we heard at first…

SORRY!…

My husband couldn’t take time to make notes when under fire…

It has taken their lifetime to get any respect for that time in their lives…

Isn’t it a shame!

Image via Wikipedia

When I think of the 4th of July …it instantly brings to mind of all the men and women who have been in a military service of any kind…I think of my dad in the NAVY …joined later in life …a little older than some of his comrads…but, probably a little wiser…He already had a family…a wife, two step-children and 2 small children of his own…Did he want to go into the service…I doubt it…but, I believe he felt it was his duty for whatever reason…Maybe his children and wife were the reason…He wanted our USA to be able to defend itself and keep the heritage of his country bright for many years to come…And this means “Letting Freedom Ring” …across the land that our forefathers paid dearly for…He was probably not a hero that is portrayed by many…but, I see him as one …because I know it was a sacrifice for him to leave his home for his designated post…

My husband and I had just met in September, when he was issued orders to leave for Viet Nam …by March 1st…Did he want to leave me…NO!…Did he want to leave his family …Mom, brothers and sisters? NO!…but, when he was deployed… he went…He had to endure many things in a country he hardly knew…Seeing many things that have brought about nightmares at times…Doing things he never thought he would be capable of doing…Learning about what facing your enemies inside and out is all about…Carrying home in their mind… pictures of things so bad …that they hold it inside until they can hold it no more…and as his wife…seeing the changes and heartache that directs his reasoning and protectiveness of the ones he loves…Yes, we need to celebrate! …To remember what is entailed to reach Freedom and Peace for the country and people who live here…God Bless Our Country and God Bless the Service Men/Women that have made it possible for us to live in a land of FREEDOM!

“My Kids!”…

Of course my kids were not at school during July…It was summer break …but, our kids did know what the 4th of July meant…You could ask them,”Who is the President of the United States?” …and they could tell you…”When is Independence Day?”…and they could tell you…”What are the names of the military services?” …and they could tell you…We taught them to honor our country through saying ,”The Pledge of Allegiance“ to our wonderful red, white and blue flag …We talked of the important people who were a part of making and keeping our country free…and writing the laws that our country lives by…When 9-11 was broadcasted on the television at school we all had our eyes and ear strained to that news…

Our school name was “Thomas Jefferson Middle School”…so of course they knew about “Thomas Jefferson” …and our mascot was “The Patriots” …So as you can see our special students were even more special in that they had learned some basics about how our country came to be and what it took to keep it that way…We had a Veterans Day Program each year …Many Veterans came to our school to be honored with certificates and a flag …Our little “Patriot Bake Shop” baked and decorated a huge cake to honor them for their service … We depicted all the services of the military with little pictures …One as important as the other… It was quite moving to see all of those “Freedom Fighters” encircling our gym …side by side …knowing what each had contributed to keep the Bell of Freedom Ringing!