Flashback Friday - Veterans

Were/Are either of your parents or other family members active military personnel or veterans? What branch? When did they serve; was it during wartime or peacetime? Did they share much about their experiences with you or others? When you were growing up, was the USA (or your country, for those outside the US) involved in a war? What do you remember about it and how did it impact you? Are you, your spouse, or any of your children veterans?

My family is FILLED with veterans!! I had four uncles who served in the Army in WW2. One uncle actually arrived on the beaches during the D-Day attacks and went on to play a major role in several European conflicts. I had an uncle serving in the Asian theatre in that war as well. I was privileged to talk with my uncles about this time in their lives and I have a tape of one uncle’s experiences that is just priceless to me!

My Dad served in the Korean conflict, and he signed up with the Army before he got drafted. During his time in service he met a man that became a lifetime friend. As a matter of fact, the man was a pastor and he saw my dad through some very difficult years after the war, when my dad’s first wife died from cancer. My youngest brother is his namesake. My dad’s friend never married.

My husband is also a veteran! When we met, he was attending a military college, and he went on to receive an active duty commission with the Army and was assigned to a Field Artillery unit in Oklahoma. We’d just celebrated our second anniversary when we moved to west and left our immediate family behind. Those five years were a very special time for us, and both of our children were born in a military hospital.

By the time 9-11 occurred, my husband was no longer on active duty, although he did inquire about returning to service at that time. We have many friends who have served in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we lost one friend who we’d served with initially in Oklahoma. We remain friends with several folks we knew in through the military, and my sons are seriously considering serving when they become old enough.

In addition to my immediate family, my grandfather-in-law was a purple heart recipient in WW2, and my oldest son did a paper on his experiences for his English class last year. My father-in-law and uncle-in-law both served in Vietnam, and my father-in-law went on to retire as a civil service employee. My husband spent most of his childhood in Germany because of his father’s career, and he has been affiliated with the Army his entire life. Both of my husband’s parents are now active in the local chapter of the VFW.

For more great veteran's memories, visit my friend Linda over at Mocha With Linda!