First of all, let me express my gratitude and respect to all our military veterans and military families.
It always feels odd when someone thanks me for my service, considering I served during the Cold War (80-84) and never came close to any combat zone. Look at baby me–just 18 and so serious! Army Basic Training was one of the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, and I’m proud to have made it through with honors and an Expert badge in marskmanship–a skill I’ve never used and hope I never will.
Will you bear with me for a funny story about being a Cold War soldier?
My first duty staion was Drake Kaserne in Frankfurt, Germany, right across the street from where Elvis was stationed. My roommate briefed me on what to expect during our first “Alert,” when the unit practices being called up to go to war. Technically, we weren’t supposed to know, but everyone knew. At 2 a.m., the CQ (soldier on overnight duty) banged on our barracks room door. Because the news had leaked, Roomie and I had our gear packed and popped out into the hallway, ready to fetch our weapons and report to formation. CQ told me to go wake the others, and being a teenage smart-ass, I ran up and down the hallway, banging on doors and yelling, “The Russians are coming!”
First Sergeant was not amused.
Anyway, I’m grateful to my Army leaders/mentors for shaping me from a smart-ass, know-it-all girl into a young woman who handled her responsabilities with efficiency and integrity. Left to my own devices, those lessons would’ve taken a lot longer to learn.
And I’m proudest of the 27 years I spent as a teacher at Wuerzburg American High School (Army families) and Bitburg American High School (Air Force Families), helping to give military members’ kids a normal high school experience while stationed far from home. Really, we should do much more to honor military familes who sacrifice so much to support their soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, and coasties.
So, if you or your family member served in the military, thank you from the bottom of my heart, and happy Veterans Day.
Aaaaand…
This one offers 35 romance books at either 99 cents (including my Christmas Rekindled) or FREE. There’s even a big-name romance author in there. Click on the image to check out the goodies!
As always, thanks for reading.
