Valuing veterans
My dear friend, Vanessa, welcomed her husband - her soldier - home tonight after 18 months of service to our nation in Iraq. This Army National Guardsman married my dear friend less than one month prior to his departure, and they have been separated by war and continents the vast majority of their young marriage. Deployed into the thick of a forward camp where roadside bombs and suicide attacks are commonplace, this young man stood in the line of fire, leaving his wife and young child at home alone. He was scheduled to come home tomorrow, but decided to surprise Vanessa and showed up unannounced at their door tonight instead. Welcome home!
My sister and her husband, Flint, were married three years ago. Twelve days after their wedding day, they were transported to a Sicilian Naval base, where Flint has been flying dangerous helicopter missions from Kuwait into Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Tragically, during their second year there, Flint's entire squadron was killed aboard their helicopter when it crashed shortly after takeoff. Flint was spared this horrible fate only because he was celebrating his second wedding anniversary and was not working that day.
They were scheduled to come home this month, but have been extended an additional year. Flint will be away from my sister for nine months this time, returning just in time to pack and move to their next deployment location.
Coppers' father is a retired Air Force Colonel, having served as a pilot in WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam wars. Bravely flying P-38's in battles that spanned 4 continents, this phenomenal soldier epitomizes the "Greatest Generation".
Today I honor veterans like these who serve our nation, our people, and my own family with uncommon valor, honor, and deep personal sacrifice for America. With my thoughts, my words, my thanks, and my prayers.
Thank you so much. And may God bless your families who endure your absence and live your service with you. We are inexplicably grateful.
posted by lachen at 12:00 AM
5 Comments:
Amen! Thank you all for your hard work and risking your life to keep our freedom (that we more often than not take for granted).
May God bless every military family past, present and future, with peace and an unsurpassed knowledge of Your love for them and may we NEVER treat another military person the way we treated those coming back from the horrors of Vietnam.
I love veterans! God bless them all. Thank your family and friends who have served for me, please.
le
God bless 'em all.
I hope this is not inappropriate, but please visit my small tribute to all American vets from 1776 to the present. Pictures, words, music. The URL is : http://home.earthlink.net/~aok39/start.html
Thank you SO much for that! You made me cry. Our Veterans of ALL our battles deserve so much and all our love, prayers, and respect.
My heart was heavy the day SoldierJ came home to me ... knowing that some good men that I said good-bye to the day he left did not return with him. They will be in our heart forever.
John15:13 ~ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
That was just beautiful. Every soldier and serviceperson deserves our respect and appreciation. Nothing less. Without them we would be nothing.
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