Veterans Day 2008

Sunday was a rainy afternoon, where P and I cuddled on the couch with Fred-the-Basset and watched the movie, "Pearl Harbor". I had even seen it before. And it almost focuses more on the romantic love triangle than the war itself. That said, I still cried during the war attacks scenes. And it quickly made me think back to my first trip with Patrick early in our relationship, to Oahu, where we visited the USS Arizona Memorial. Patrick rolled his eyes at my crying but war films have always made me cry. I remarked to P, "There is no way I could watch any war film if I had family that had directly fought in any of these wars."

Which leads me to today's blog subject. It is Veteran's Day. And, yes, by some grace of God, my massive family has never been directly involved in a war. My father got out of the Vietnam initial draft by being recently married, and about to be a first-time father. (At least that is what my folks told me long ago). He did have to join the army and he moved my mother up to Northern California for a couple months while he trained and she had my oldest sister, Ceci born at that Fort's hospital.

But other than that stint, my family didn't send anyone into war zones to fight. Not my uncles, cousins: no one.

But I still feel a tremendous amount of emotion when it comes to military. I don't know if it's growing up my whole life in a military town. I don't know if it's because from the age of 18-23 I met many young militia going out to the dance clubs or Tijuana where my heart always held a soft spot for these young, tough, but slightly lost young men. Heck, I short-term dated 3 or 4 navy or marines in my day. And now, the Love of my Life, who is not only a retired navy vet himself.

I asked my students on Friday why they were getting today off, and sadly, most of them didn't know, or cared. It was just a holiday to them. A reason not to go to school.

For my part, I want to say, that I cannot - even with my vast imagination -begin to feel how families with loved ones who are directly involved in wars past and present feel on today's memorial holiday.

So I, in my small way, salute all the men and women, sons and daughter, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and neighbors who have fought for our country and have given up so much in order for us to live normal, free lives.

May God Bless all our military and especially be with those overseas fighting for as I type this. Keep our men and women safe, and come home soon!