Veterans Day is here and I am excited! After observing the 235^th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, I am going to give some appreciation to all of our Veterans. However, I am still going to be encouraging all Marines supporters to go to Project Valour-IT to donate to the Marine Team.

Although I am a great admirer of “my” Marines, I give kudos to the other branches of service.  I read the blog of 11/10/2010, of Cassy Fiano, one of our team leaders. I was very moved and realized that although Cassy is a Marine wife , her sentiments in the following paragraphs, can also be applicable to any wife in any branch of service.

As a Marine Corps wife, Semper Fidelis is my vow, too. It is my duty and my honor to stand beside him, to be always faithful not only to my husband but to the values of the Marine Corps as well. It takes honor to be a Marine Corps wife. It takes courage and commitment, especially when your husband is fighting halfway around the world and you don’t know if he’ll be coming back or not. It takes a special kind of woman to be the wife of a Marine. When you marry a Marine, you aren’t just marrying the man. You’re marrying the Marine Corps as well, and Semper Fidelis applies to the women left behind as well as the men who don the uniform.

There are many nights when I can’t sleep for fear. There are many times when I feel like I can’t go on alone anymore, living in terror and loneliness. There are times when I would love to have my husband never deploy again, for us to live a life of civilian peace. And there are those occasional phone calls, where he tells me he doesn’t think he can do it anymore, either. Being a Marine, or the wife of one, doesn’t mean there are never moments of doubt, or fear, or anger. It means that we persist despite those feelings; we continue on because we believe in the Corps, we believe in what we are fighting for. When he feels like he can’t keep going, I raise him up. When I feel like I can’t do it anymore, I remember the man that he is, the pride I feel in his courage and his convictions, and I remember that our shared sacrifice will lead to a better world for our children and our grandchildren. I support him unconditionally, and I will remain faithful to the very end. Semper Fidelis is my motto, too.

The wives, husbands and kids left behind, are really as much in service as the troops deployed – minus having to wield weapons. “There are many nights when I can’t sleep for fear,” tugged at my heart strings, especially because Cassy is carrying a little Marine, and more than likely will probably have to be Mom and Dad, until Dad returns home.  The irony of this situation where Dad or Mom is off fighting for the country, and the rest of the family has to cope, is that these folks are the backbone of this country.  One would think that the enforced deprivation would cause resentment, but far from it. Serving their country becomes a proud family tradition, and the rest of us benefit. 

Every weekday morning with eyes half open, I listen to the radio program, WSJ This Morning , with host Gordon Deal. This morning he had two interviews about Veterans and the problems they face on returning home. The two problems highlighted were Post Traumatic Distress Disorder and homelessness.  With all of the money this government spends on exotic projects such as the mating habits of ants, surely more can be done to help those who gave part of their lives to us. The mating habits of ants, as far as I know, is not really one of those exotic projects, and hopefully, this is not taken as a serious project by a bureaucrat tucked away in a cubicle!

The Department of Veterans Affairs is a good source for all of the various parades and other information on this special day set aside to honor Veterans.  This day was set aside with the following proclamation:

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

If I am fortunate today to see a Veteran on this special day, I am asking for permission to give him or her a big hug of appreciation! If he or she is one of “my” Marines, I may probably faint! Speaking of my, er our Marines, The National Museum of the Marine Corps gives us a good rundown of things Marine.  I am keeping an eye on this event:

Maybe I can attend and get a toy or two from Santa! I think that I can pass for a rather mature twelve years old!

Here is another roundup, this time of 35 Veterans Day freebies.  I prefer to describe them as “tokens of appreciation.” The price was already paid by our Veterans. 

Although the Warrior Song is dedicated to the Marines, I would like to extend that dedication to all branches of service, in appreciation for preserving the liberty of this nation, and my personal freedom.
 
God bless our troops!