Proud to Have Served my Country

It has been many years since I daily donned my military attire, yet I remember those three years with great fondness and pride. It was near the end of the Viet Nam war when I said good-bye to my job as a social worker, and joined the Army. As I sit here writing this article, I contemplate...Freedom - What it means to me!

I still recall with amusement, the day I phoned my father and told him I needed a copy of my birth certificate. He quickly shot back, "What do you need that for, are you joining the Army?" Good guess, Dad!

After a thoroughly exhausting eight weeks of basic training, in the stifling humidity of Alabama in the summer, a thinner, more disciplined recruit emerged. A few short weeks later, after advanced training, I received my orders to serve with the 503d MP Company in Frankfurt, Germany.

To this day, I will always be thankful for the wealth of cultural experience I enjoyed while living in Germany. Even though the war was being fought far from where I was stationed, there were, however, local incidents which made it apparent dissidants were everywhere. The worst of them that occurred during my time of service was one sunny day when the Abrams Building in Frankfurt was bombed.

Without our military, the freedoms we all continue to enjoy, would be a thing of the past. War is hell, pure and simple! War has always sent scores of our dedicated men and women to an early grave. My heart will forever weep for them and they are all our greatest heroes.

As Memorial Day is celebrated every May, I pray that each and every American will stop to consider the cost of the freedoms we still enjoy today. A huge price has been paid to have these freedoms! The "holiday" is so much more than a day off from work...it is a reminder of all those who gave their lives to preserve the freedoms we still enjoy. Let us never forget that!

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