The Day That Made Him A Veteran

"In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." - Jose Narosky

The day that made him a veteran in my eyes is probably different than the one in his own mind, but I love thinking back to that day. It was one of the happiest of my life. I entered the large holding room, my heart beating faster than I thought possible. How would this play out? Am I really going to see him? Lock eyes with him and touch the patches of his ACUs? Is this truly the end of a twelve month stint in the Middle East? It was surreal.

As I walked toward the gathered crowd, I could feel the emotions of everyone surrounding me. How incredible to see a mother and her newborn waiting eagerly for daddy's arrival. I also witnessed large families all dressed in matching "welcome home" t-shirts, dogs, and mothers waiting to kiss the cheeks of their sons. The anticipation was palpable. I've felt nothing else like it since.

Finally the bus arrived, the formation dispersed, and I jumped into the hug I had been dreaming of for months. My soldier was officially a veteran. He was home.

Happy Veteran's Day to all who have that role heavy on their shoulders. Your service is greatly appreciated.

Veteran's Day 2011

Veteran's Day used to mean a lot to me for a very different reason than it does now. When I thought of Veteran's Day, I thought of grandparents and great-grandparents. It was a day to reflect on those people who sacrificed. It was separate from me. Now, Veteran's Day is something much different to me. I'm not sure why it rarely dawned on me that my own generation was a part of this celebrated group, too. Oh, how society (in regard to war) has changed. This change in thinking started (for me) on January 4, 2010 when I married into the military-

Veteran's Day is not something that is separate from me anymore. It's one day that remembers someone I live with every day. My veteran, my other half. I appreciate him because he thinks what he did is no big deal. He says being in the military has given him confidence and discipline and he is thankful for what the Army has done for him. I appreciate him because he is easily embarrassed when someone tries to show their appreciation of his service by paying for his meal; he doesn't think he deserves any special treatment-he was just doing his job. I appreciate my soldier for going down this path because each absence strengthens us- our relationship is better when he returns from being away. I appreciate him meeting me on Skype almost every day during deployment and trying so hard to connect when he was hopelessly tired from an earlier mission. As you can see-

My veteran means a lot to me.

Let's celebrate today, want to? Tell me about your veteran. Maybe it's your dad, your son, your daughter? I want to know about them. Feel free to gush about your veteran in the comment section. To those service people who are reading, past and present, thank you for your sacrifice.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Psss...Got something to nice to say about your other half? Link up with Alana!

My Veteran

I'm so incredibly thankful and proud of that man. It's easy to remember in our day to day lives how much military families are asked to sacrifice. What I tend to forget is how much my husband sacrificed individually. After all, while he was off in Iraq, I was exercising my freedom to get an education. I was sitting comfortably in my air conditioned home, surrounded by friends and family who love me. I forget that Captain J had little luxury for the year he was away. I forget that he took a year out of his life and decided he would spend it  in a war torn country, attempting to make beneficial changes there. I tend to forget because I like to think of that as his job. It's something separate from me, right? But being in the military is so much more than just a job.  I'm really proud to be married to my veteran! This picture just reminds me that there are so many men and women currently serving overseas who are sacrificing their lives in some capacity every single day. Thank God for each of them!

P.S.- He's not bad on the eyes either ;)

P.P.S- Link up your recent military related post here.