Surrounded by Greatness

I come from a family with a long history of military service.  I have a brother who served in Kuwait and cousins who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  One of them is a also a gold medal paralympian. Growing up, I enjoyed hearing my dad's stories about his time in the Marines.  They were suspenseful, riveting, humorous, and inspiring.  They were also educational.  My dad was onboard a Navy ship in October of 1962, preparing to invade Cuba.  Thankfully, the invasion never happened, but it gave me insight into that event that I would never have gotten from a textbook.  In addition to his own tales, he entertained me with the stories of uncles and cousins from the World Wars and Korea.  It is important to note, that my dad never put any pressure on me to join.  But, I suppose it was only natural for me to feel the call.

 

In college I joined Army R.O.T.C.  where one of my favorite activities was color guard.  It was fun doing parades and football games, but there are two events that stand out more than any other.  The first was the color guard we did for one of the speaking events hosted by Lamar University.  The keynote speaker was former president Gerald Ford.  It is not every day you have a president walk within ten feet of you.  I felt very small and very proud at the same time, during the pledge as President Ford saluted the flag I was holding. 

 

The second color guard event that stands out was one we did for the VFW.  We were very anxious and wanted everything to be perfect for these veterans.   Normally at events like this we were last through the buffet line and were seated at a table in the back.  Not this time.  Our anxiety was put into overdrive when they seated us next to the head table.  Then they asked us to go through the buffet line behind the head table.  We tried to politely refuse.  We told them it was out of respect for what they had done for our country.  They told us that because of their experience, they understood what we had promised to do.  They wanted to honor us for stuff we had not yet done.  This response humbled us and brought tears to our eyes.

 

After I graduated and joined an artillery unit, I continued to find myself being inspired and awed by those around me.  I was fortunate to have fantastic NCOs.  The most colorful of these was an E5 who had served in both Korea and Vietnam.  So why was he still an E5 in 1990?  I pulled his file to answer that question and it read like the plot of a John Wayne and Lee Marvin movie.   He had been court-martialed multiple times.  He also had multiple Purple Hearts and both a Bronze and Silver Star.  He was a great soldier with a wealth of knowledge and experience.  He was also a massive prankster.  I never did learn what his official position was in the unit.  Everyone went to him for advice and he delivered every time.  He was our battery's guru on anything military.  He was also a great story teller. 

 

I also had the fortune of working for one of the best battery commanders in the military.  He was former enlisted with the 82nd Airborne and as such, had a different perspective than most National Guardsmen.  He drove us hard and had high expectations, but he would also stick his neck out for us.  There was nothing we wouldn't have done for him.  My favorite memory of him involves Saturday morning P.T.  Normally for a reserve unit this involves push-ups, sit-ups, and running.  One month he decided we should do a road march instead.  So, we put on our field gear and drew weapons.  It was funny watching people open their doors to get the morning paper.  Their eyes got huge when they saw us coming down the street in full combat gear.  We smiled and told them, "we're just going for a walk."

 

One of the most humbling experiences in my life was Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  My unit was not activated, so like most of America I watched the war on TV.  However, everywhere we went we were treated like heroes.   It was a hard thing to accept as I didn't feel deserving.  After all, I was on the bench during the big game.  Then I met a Vietnam veteran who told me that it was okay.  He said the important thing was what I was prepared to do.  That all who wear the uniform and raise their hands are heroes.

 

I've tried to keep his words in my heart.  But I still often find myself feeling like the bat boy for the World Series champs.  I am proud of my service, but I am surrounded by others who have done great things and have risked all.  I have had the honor of meeting larger than life heroes including a Tuskegee airman, one of the fighter pilots who escorted Air Force One, and two Medal of Honor recipients.  And there are far too many that I have not met who gave all.