grandjan

My father was career military--10 schools in 12 years and I got to see much of the country and a few bits of the world beyond the U.S. My son is in the Army and is currently stateside.

QuiltnLady1

My DH was in the Coast Guard -- his eye sight was too bad during Viet Nam so no one else would take him.

I grew up an Army brat. My Dad was in the Army, in Pearl Harbor when it was bombed and the Philippines when McArthur left. He was also in the Korean Conflict.

My Uncle was in the Navy and on the deck for the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri.

My Mom was an Army Nurse during WWII.

My earliest direct uniformed ancestor fought in the French and Indian Wars. Others fought in the Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil war (relatives on both sides).

One of the biggest tragedies I have seen in my lifetime was the shameful way soldiers returning from Viet Nam were treated. I may not be a young chicken, but I am doing my best to make sure the folks returning from the current conflicts know how much I appreciate their service.

azdesertrat

My dad was Career Marine,from 1955-1975 did 2 tours in Vietnam,I almost went into the Marines,but I could bear to leave my son for boot camp
and my daughters' father was in the Navy,served on the USS Nimitz,in the 80s.passed away in 1998 of diabetes

c joyce

I was an Air Force nurse and my husband flew B52's and was an instructor pilot. It was an incredible experience for us both...it's a culture within itself and one that I would encourage anyone to experience in some way personally or through others. May God protect and bless all who are serving their country!

bookfare

Great-grandfather in Union Army, Civil War, father in Army, WWI, his brother (my uncle) in Army Signal Corps, killed in WWI, my brother in Army (Europe), WWII, husband (now deceased), Navy Seabees, WWII, brother in Air Force during Korean War, granddaughter currently serving in the Marines. Plus many other relatives and friends, too many to list.

Kmeyer

My only child, my lovely daughter is an Industrial Hygentist in the Navy and is stationed in Oahu, Hawaii. She has been there for a year now and tolerates the traffic. She has been in the Navy for almost 4 years. Part of last year, she was stationed on the USS Stennis and she loved that ship. She was on it for 8 months and saw the West Pacific. I was glad when she returned because I could not call her while she was gone. Now we talk every day and it makes her living away from us a little easier.

juneayerza

The Military is certainly not for everyone. That being said, the military was one of the best things I ever did.

I was proud to serve 21 years in the Army and my husband served 38 years in the Army.

twixbar

My Husband is retired army, he also did two tours (back to back) in Veitnam, my grandaughter and her husband were marines, also my grandson who wants to make a career out of it. My other grandaughter's husband is overseas right now for the second time. (Marines).
God Bless all who serve.

smagruder

God Bless all the families mentioned here.... those not mentioned. It is a great sacrifice they do to serve our country to keep us free.

RugosaB

I was in high school in the 70's, so when I think of joining the military, the first thing I think of was, to put it mildly, the lack of welcome when they came home, if they came home.

I never voiced my opinion to my kids, and then one day, my youngest son was beginning his senoir year in high school, said he wanted to join the Navy. It took everything in me to not scream, and I was really very proud of myself, the way I just smiled. And doing a little digging, I found out they had what they call the DEP program, in which, once a month, he'd go down to the navy office and get a feel for it, all the while knowing he could change his mind if he wanted to. I also knew that if I expressed my displeasure with his decision, that would be a sure way to get him to join, so I went along with the whole thing
After a year, he still wanted to join, and the recruiter picked him up, took him down to Columbus,where he went through testing, etc. We drove down on the day he was to go to boot camp in Chicago, and oversaw him picking his rate nad the swearing in ceremony.
He tested in to the nuclear propulsion rate, so not only was he giving something to the Navy, he was getting an education out of it. He's been on the USS Ronald Reagan and has even earned some awards. Down at Nuke school he got an award they give to one member of each graduating class, the 'Personal Excellence Award.' and last year he was the Reagan's 'Sailor of the Day.' I feel kind of guilty being so proud when in the beginning, I was so against the idea.

He had to sign up for 6 years because of the training they put in him, but I will be the first to admit, I'm glad he did what he did, the way he did.
You got a good one