For those unfamiliar with that term, it means someone whose parent(s) were in the Army. In my case, it was my father, who passed away in 2005.
My dad served 20 years in the United States Army, during which he did two tours of Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star. He retired after his second tour ended, saying he wanted to get out before he was sent over a third time.
For most of my early years, I was either without a dad (when he was in Vietnam) or moving from base to base, wherever Uncle Sam decided to station him. I was born in Heidelberg, in what was then West Germany, in a U.S. Army hospital on base. Unfortunately, I remember none of this as I was a baby.
Growing up in a military family is tough. Just when you get used to one place, you have to move. It makes it hard to maintain friendships. There are some people I’ve never heard from once we moved, even though we were best friends while I lived there.
My dad being a career military man, gave me a chance to see what military life was like, enough so that I decided it wasn’t the life for me. But it also gave me a deep appreciation for those who did choose that path, especially during times of war. Some gave all; all gave some. No more valid words were ever spoken.
After retiring, my dad rarely spoke of the military. And he didn’t talk about Vietnam. If you didn’t know that he was in the military, you would never have guessed it. He kept his military artifacts tucked away, including his numerous medals. It wasn’t until late in life that he even joined the local VFW post in London, where he would soon become commander.
The military isn’t the life for everyone; it takes a particular person to choose that path. Some do it out of necessity, others for the challenge; many do it because they have a sense of patriotism. Whatever their reason, it’s not made or taken lightly.
This Monday is Memorial Day. For many, it’s a day off from work and will include cookouts and family gatherings. For others, a trip to the cemetery to lay wreaths or flowers on loved ones’ graves. But the real reason for Memorial Day is to honor those veterans who gave their lives in service to this country—the ultimate sacrifice.
So this Memorial Day, whatever you are doing, take a moment to remember those veterans who gave all. It’s the least you can do, considering what they did. Or better yet, plan to attend the Memorial Day Program at the Lebanon National Cemetery on Sunday at 2 p.m.
