In Honor of My Son, a Veteran

 I want to start off offering Gene's and my condolences and prayers for the families and friends of the soldiers and others that were killed yesterday at Ft. Hood.  We are keeping each injured person and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.  May God wrap you in His loving arms and comfort you......

With this Veteran's Day coming up, my thoughts have been on my son who is about to retire from the Navy.  I have been gathering pictures and memories trying to do my part in helping his wife get ready for his big retirement celebration next year.  With each picture that I come across, a memory comes with it, some happy and some tearful. 

I have to admit, when I was encouraging him to go into the Navy as a Senior in high school, it did not enter my mind that I wouldn't see him but every couple of years.  It never entered my mind that living in Texas was NOT close to a coast with a Navy base.

My memories have pretty much focused on the Iraq invasion, I guess because it was so traumatic for me.  We all went through the trauma of 9/11 and it was devastating, but when the invasion was taking place and all one could hear or see on television or radio was the embedded reporters' accounts of what was happening, it was like reaching out to touch a snowflake only to see it disappear into vapor.  We were able to see the soldiers, but not be there to give them encouragement or comfort....unable to get reassurance that all was well. 

(Since my son worked in an area of the submarine that was restricted and is unable to tell much about what he did, I'll tell how it affected me when he went to war.) 

All I could do was watch in horror as it all took place in front of me.  The television was on 24/7.  I "googled" everything I could about the area and the war.  I printed off maps and gathered news articles from local papers as well as the reports sent in by the embedded reporter on my son's sub.  I subscribed to newsletters from military websites.  I worried about submerged mines and wondered if Iraq had submarines of their own.  I helped to start a military support group, tied yellow ribbons on trees and poles and was part of a ceremony to present the Blue Star flags to families of military people involved in the war.  A friend said that I was "going with him"  in order to deal with the fear.  It was the only way that I could protect my precious child.  I cannot even imagine being the mother of one of the soldier's on land.

I feel for the families of those that were seen on television and the ones, like mine, that weren't.  My son was on a submarine.  Their location is always top secret.  I do have the proud knowledge that his submarine was the first one to fire all of their missiles and I was fortunate to be there to see his sub come in with a broom attached to the "sail" meaning that they made a "clean sweep."  Being there when that crew came into port was an awesome thing. 

We see the pictures of the heroes that came back from WWII and the confetti and bands and all of the people there to welcome them.  Well, with that picture in mind, add to it the anticipation of all as we waited for hours just to see a glimpse of the sub as it turned into the channel, the roar of applause and yells increasing as it got nearer, boats tooting their horns and spraying great streams of water, men and women shouting from their decks as they came through the channel and the tears and laughter of each person there.  We could feel the pride in the air as the sub made it's way to the slip where it docked and at last opened the hatch to unload their special cargo of sailors.  There was kissing and hugging everywhere. It was a true heroes welcome.

I am proud of all my sons, each one for different reasons, but today I honor this one for his 19 years of Navy service, for all he has had to give up, endure and experience.  Thank you, my precious son, for being you.

I hope that all of the soldiers and sailors get some kind of heroes welcome when they come home.  I use this Veteran's Day to humbly honor and extend my gratitude and America's gratitude to each man and woman that has served our country through each service, through each war or military action.  Salute!