Veterans Day Tribute

It is the day to remember anyone who served in the armed forces. I remember as a child going to parades and hearing military marching band music. My dad was in the Coast Guard and served in WWII and Korea aboard a destroyer escort. He retired after twenty one years and he kept meticulous albums of his adventures. He knew he would move the family from New England to Florida when the time was right. My grandfather was so proud of my mom because she was the only child out of five who served in the Navy during WWII. She traveled to San Francisco and loved it. A friend was supposed to join her but backed out at the last minute. She never looked back. After a couple of years in the Navy she worked in a variety of government positions and retired from the VA. Our son joined the army while in college, got his medical degree from UWM, a residency at Walter Reed and a post residency at Harvard. He served for twenty one years in the army and was deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan. You could say he was one of the reasons we moved to DC from the Midwest. We lived down the street from them on Capitol Hill and were available to our daughter in law and grandson while he was away. I was so lucky to get a job at the Library of Congress which was just two blocks away and we had the opportunity to grow with our family. So today we celebrate the service of our family members. Thank you! 

Honor Flight

Both of my parents served in WWII. My mom was in the Navy for two years and my dad was in the Coast Guard for 21 years. Our son was in the Army for twenty one years and was deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan as a cardiac surgeon. This past Saturday we were so happy to see our friends from the Midwest who traveled to DC on an honor flight. The brothers were colleagues of ours and both served during the Viet Nam time period. One was in the Air Force and the other was in the Coast Guard. What better day than Veterans Day to honor them all. It was quite a day for them and their sons who served as their sponsors. We hadn’t seen them since our last trip to the Midwest two years ago so it was a treat to see someone familiar! We met them on a beautiful day at the WWII Memorial, and then walked about the reflecting pool, the Viet Nam Memorial, and back to the Lincoln Memorial. The area was packed with visitors but the veterans stood out in their red and blue jackets. They had a full day of activities that started at 3 in the morning and they arrived back home later in the evening - greeted by their families, marching band, and honor flight participants who cheered them on with a huge thank you and welcome home. We were so glad we were a part of the celebration and appreciate the sacrifices they all made. Everyone knows someone who served in the military. It’s nice to be remembered for it. 

USS Newell and My Dad on Veterans Day

My brother has it now - the scrapbook our dad meticulously maintained and chronicled his twenty one years of Coast Guard service. My dad never talked about the adventures per se, but it seemed to be the happiest - and scariest - times in his life. He has a few medals from WWII and Korea. He even kept a few of his uniforms and is buried in one of them. He and my mom, who was a Navy veteran, are resting at Florida National Cemetery side by side. I remember visiting ships as a youngster whenever my dad was in port, and even after he left the service. He loved the water. There was an account of one of the ships he served on - the USS Newell - among the photos and trinkets. He must have requested it from the Navy Department in 1952. It tells the history of the ship and the role it played in WWII. My dad was in the engine room, where the hatches would be closed off in the event of a torpedo strike. It happened in a convoy in North Africa but luckily his ship was not hit. The photos of the event are somehow lost, but I remember looking at them - explosions, picking up survivors ... today is the day we honor all these servicemen and women on Veterans Day. It is well deserved. 

 

A Tribute to my Father on Veterans Day

I have thumbed through these scrapbooks many times. My dad meticulously kept memories of his twenty one years in the Coast Guard, including a 1939 letter from the Treasury Department requesting his father's authorization to join, his uniforms, all the ship passes, training certificates, and recognition awards for serving in WW II and the Korean War. He never discussed a lot of it, but there are internet accounts of his convoy in North Africa on the USS Newell. The engine room was not a good place to be with ships exploding around you. The doors below were shut tight, which would mean a certain fate. As a youngster, I do remember visiting the floating vessels when they were in port, and how he became animated when he saw Battleship Cove in Fall River on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. I know he loved the water. He traveled all over the world, and retired to Florida when I was in second grade. The funny thing is that there are photos of him and his buddy in Washington - where we live now, and he trained in Beloit and Manitowoc Wisconsin - we lived in Milwaukee thirty years. He loved the Coast Guard and the time he spent in it. He just turned ninety-five, and doesn't remember a whole lot any more. But when he hears the music of his day, he becomes animated all over again. Happy Veterans Day Dad.

The Long Weekend

As a heath care provider for thirty years, I worked many odd shifts, weekends and holidays the first ten years. Then I moved to a Monday through Friday schedule for the last twenty, with six holidays. When I became a federal employee eight years ago, my work days were nine hours with every other Friday off and ten holidays. Since I finally went to a part time schedule for the first time in my work career in March this year, I have been working three eight hour shifts a week. This is the first time in forty years that I work less time than I am off - and it is simply delightful! The eight hour days are so much nicer than nine. And in the winter months, leaving work in the dark was a drag. Unfortunately, Monday is the day that most holidays fall on, and since I am already scheduled off, I miss out on having the holiday day off about six times a year. But Veterans Day falls on a Tuesday, so I am finally in luck. On top of that, last week we had already scheduled annual doctor appointments for Tuesday and Thursday, which meant I had one working day last week. And thanks to the extra holiday on Tuesday this week, I actually have a six day long weekend! Most of my friends are retired, and I have never heard any of them even suggest they dislike it. Until that time comes for me, this is a great segue for transitioning into full retirement. We've lived in Washington DC now for eight years. Maybe we can reach another milestone in a couple more. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year landing on Thursday this year, I'm looking forward to having some really long weekends off. Maybe I should change my work schedule to Include Mondays?

Celebrate and Remember Veterans Day