Proud To Be A Veteran x2

Well, today's blog is on a subject that is very dear to my heart and soul. I am a military Veteran of two foreign wars. While I served in the United States Navy from 1982 to 1986, I was deployed in the Lebanon/Beirut Conflict; while serving on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69 Flight Deck Fuels. And while I served in the United States Army from 1987 to 1991. I was deployed and served in Desert Shield/Desert Storm attached to the 17th Field Artillery 1st Calvary Field Artillery. Today, I reflect on 2 specific memories from each of the 2 branches I served in during wartime.

While with the US Navy on board the USS Eisenhower, one of my fondest memories was when we were on our Mediterranean cruise. We had been cruising off the coast of Beirut Lebanon doing some flight operations due to the Lebanon crises, when early one morning our Captain came over the loud speaker. He told everyone on the carrier to repost on the Flight Deck. When we got there, there were hundreds of trash cans on the flight deck filled with large rocks. The Captain then instructed all the crewmembers to grab a handful of rocks and throw them at the land on our starboard side, which we all did. Then the Captain said all of us could return to our bunks and get the much needed sleep we needed. Now the funny thing about all this is; Omar Kadaphy(who was the Dictator) said that if our Carrier was to get into his waters that he was going to blow the Nuclear Carrier out of the water. That is when our Captain decided he would get within 100 yards of his shore and let us lob rocks at it knowing good and well that he didn’t have the guts to blow a nuclear carrier up near is country due to all the devastation. To this  day, I can only imagine the look on Omar’s face.

As for my time in the United States Army, there are so many memories. Especially the ones from the Desert Shield/Desert Storm Gulf War. But one of my most vivid memories is the one of the young men that didn’t think twice on why they were there. Which was to represent our great nation. I remember one day that our Field Artillery command was following the 1st Cav Infantry so that we could support them in a more efficient manner. As my team sat and watched these young men exit their armed vehicle and run and yelled their charge, you had to admire them for running into battle without thinking twice of it’s outcome. To me that is true bravery.

We are blessed to live in the United States of America. And we should never take for granted the lives that have been lost to protect it or the ones that are alive and protecting our freedom now. I am proud to be an American but I am most proud to be an AMERICAN VETERAN.