In Memorium

Like many of my peers, my grandparents served in the military.  A much bigger portion of my peers don't have immediate family member in the Armed Forces according to a recent PEW survey, which means that many of us might not understand the joys and tribulations of military life.

My dziadzia (Polish grandpa!) was a military policeman.   Here he doing guard duty.




I didn't know him when he served.  Heck, I barely knew him when I was a kid because he passed away then I was only seven.  However, there must've been something in the family blood because patriotism has always been fiery and possibly a little over the top.

Pictures on left circa 2001 serving as proof of love for the Red, White and Blue.
 
While none of my immediate family serves in the military, I had the unique experience last summer of dating an infantryman through basic training.  Through this, I befriended many women who were dating, engaged, or married to other men in Delta Co.  Even though my relationship with the soldier ended, I remained friends with many of these women.

Once training ended and stations were dolled out, my close friend found herself on the opposite side of the country from her, then boyfriend.  She was in the middle of grad school and he didn't really have a choice.  So, they did it the hard way and lived with the distance.  Now, they're married (Beautiful wedding!!) and he's currently deployed.  I've joined her in counting down to his return because I'd really like to finally meet the guy!

This weekend, thank our troops.  They make incredible sacrifices to protect and defend our country.

Don't forget their families and loved ones.  Going a month without a phone call from your husband/wife or girlfriend/boyfriend sounds impossible, but it's doable.  There are men and women dealing with this reality every day.  Give them some love, a hug if they're your friend.

My friend's getting a rain check on a glass of wine for when I see her next! 

Memorial Day is ultimately a day where we remember the fallen.  The men and women that come home to Dover Airforce Base, not their homes.  The pain of deployment is usually great, but having your loved one completely ripped from this world is something that doesn't ever go away.

The military affects each one of us.  Without them, the U.S. would have literally ceased to exist at some point in time.  Today isn't the day for politics.  It's a day that our nation should pause and remember the sacrifice that had to be made for us to share a drink with our family at a barbeque.  The sacrifice of one's own life.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:13