When I was six years old, my father sat me on his lap and told me
he was going back to Viet Nam. He said if he didn’t go back, little children
just like me would be made into slaves or killed. He said he hated to leave us
again, but he had to help save these children.
I have lived all over the world as an officer’s brat and witnessed the traumatic adjustments of veterans returning from battle and the sometimes devastating transition to civilian life. I watch in amazement as my mother deals with the many facets of being a veteran’s widow. I personally support two veteran charities – one of which received the first 2009 CNN Hero award – Stand Down House. The other charity is the Prayer Shawls for Fallen Soldiers’ Families organization.
I am experienced in veteran issues as a daughter, sister, neighbor, teacher, co-worker, supporter, and patriot. As the editor of BellaOnline’s Veterans site for three years, I was proud to serve as an advocate for women whose lives are tapped by the daily interests, issues and challenges of veterans.
One of my favorite sayings is from Beowulf, “Each of us must look to death and he who can should do mighty deeds before it comes.”
Just like everybody else in this world, I’ve tasted death and despair and betrayal and injustice and heart-ache and unanswerable questions. And still I find grace in the eternity of nature, joy in the love of friends, and hope in each word I type, because each word leads to another and together they create a life that can be shared with many and will live on beyond my physical mortality.
I have lived all over the world as an officer’s brat and witnessed the traumatic adjustments of veterans returning from battle and the sometimes devastating transition to civilian life. I watch in amazement as my mother deals with the many facets of being a veteran’s widow. I personally support two veteran charities – one of which received the first 2009 CNN Hero award – Stand Down House. The other charity is the Prayer Shawls for Fallen Soldiers’ Families organization.
I am experienced in veteran issues as a daughter, sister, neighbor, teacher, co-worker, supporter, and patriot. As the editor of BellaOnline’s Veterans site for three years, I was proud to serve as an advocate for women whose lives are tapped by the daily interests, issues and challenges of veterans.
One of my favorite sayings is from Beowulf, “Each of us must look to death and he who can should do mighty deeds before it comes.”
Just like everybody else in this world, I’ve tasted death and despair and betrayal and injustice and heart-ache and unanswerable questions. And still I find grace in the eternity of nature, joy in the love of friends, and hope in each word I type, because each word leads to another and together they create a life that can be shared with many and will live on beyond my physical mortality.
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