Happy Veteran's Day

Left top - Grandpa Ralph, Grandpa Lee, Uncle Gerald
Bottom left - Dad, Me in the field at Fort Hood, Me the night before PLDC Graduation

"For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag." - Zell Miller

For all my friends who have served and who are still serving our country, Thank You.  Serving with all of you was a privilege, and I will cherish those years for the rest of my life!

I thought it would be cool to create a collage of my grandpas, my great-uncle Gerald (killed on Iwo Jima), my dad and photos of me.  My Grandpa Ralph (Marine) served during World War II in the South Pacific.  My Grandpa Lee (Army) served during World War II in the European Theater.  My great-uncle Gerald served in World War II in the South Pacific.  My Dad was in the Vietnam War, and he retired in 1991, a few months before I went to basic training.  I joined the Army on November 13, 1991.  I can't believe in a few days it will be 19 years since I went off to Fort Jackson, SC for basic training.  It was definitely a new experience, but I think I might have been the only trainee that had a blast during the eight week course.

Mom and I at DLI in 1993

I joined the Army to be a Russian linguist.  I was stationed at DLI, Montery, CA from 1992-1993.  That was really a different experience.  I was trained for the language and only used it for a year when I was stationed in San Antonio, TX.  I re-enlisted to get out of there as soon as possible!!!! 


Me and two team mates during field exercise at PLDC


I went to PLDC at Fort Hood, TX.  This is where they teach you how to be a sergeant.  The above photo is of me and two of the girls in my group the day we went to the field.  I think that is the last time I ever wore camo (paint on face) and the only other time I wore camo was at basic training,


Me at PLDC Grad Dinner


This is the only good photo I could find of me in my Class "A" uniform.  This is the night before we graduate from PLDC.  How about those '90s glasses!


Dawn and I at NTC 1998


I think this is my favorite Army picture of all time.  This is my best friend Dawn and I before we rolled in from the field at NTC (National Training Center), Fort Irwin, CA.  Yes, that is Play Girl you see in my hand and Dawnie has a cigar.  Just so you don't think we just had Play Girl magazines, we had Play Boy too.  We used those to trade the infantry guys for bullets.  Because we were a MI unit, we usually only got five bullets per team member - WTF????  We get attacked too.

So, that is a brief tour of my time in the Army.  I don't regret a minute of my time in and there are times I truly miss it.