To begin with, let me say I think anyone that serves in the military is an incredible patriot. The kind of sacrifice they go through is beyond compare- I only know it from the wife standpoint. I'm what's known as the "Silent Ranks" we serve just as devotedly as our spouses yet we give them all the glory. I saw a coffee mug that kind of summed everything up "Superhero cleverly disguised as a Military wife" Navy men will tell you, wives have the toughest job. We go for days without hearing from our spouse, just praying they have survived the day. For months on end, we attend FRG meetings waiting for the day we hear they're coming home. We put on brave faces and try not to cry when we see them off, and we yell louder than anyone when they make port. But I wouldn't trade it for anything, because my husband, and the servicemen and women like him, are the reason the rest of us can sleep at night with out fear.
That being said, I think my husband rocks. He's a firecontrolman- he works on something akin to a gattlin gun called CIWS (see-whiz) or Close in Weapons System. He finished all of his schooling with an average above 93 and earned a special commendation from the base commandant. He's being promoted (Petty Officer 3rd Class) on the 16th and I wish I could be there to attach his new insignia. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Danny took the time to lead a study group and help his fellow sailors study for the upcoming tests. FC is not an easy rate (job)- it requires the second highest ASVAB scores in the service. His scores qualified for the highest scoring rate (Navy Nuke) but he was too old (and I think a little too tall to be a bubble head). He also tried out for and made Honor Guard for Great Lakes NAS- a pretty elite group. Being the tallest he was assigned the ensign bearer (he carried the American Flag). They got to do all sorts of fun things: parades, basketball games (even a Bulls game), retirements, etc. But I think the coolest thing was Honor Flight Chicago.
HFC is a program that flies WWII vets to Washington, D.C. to see their memorial. The veterans get a big send off at O'Hare and spend several days touring D.C. Most of the members of this Greatest Generation are well into their seventies and eighties, the bulk require wheelchairs to move around, and a few are even on oxygen. You can imagine the logistics for getting 80 something wheelchair bound vets to D.C. is a bit of an undertaking, but HFC does an incredible job. The best part is the veterans homecoming. They are met at the gate by thousands of supporters, active duty military, firefighters, police officers, fellow veterans, bands, and a special honor guard to lead them through the airport. That's where Danny comes in- he participated in two HFC homecomings and said the stories are absolutely incredible. Every service member should be welcomed home like this even if they're just coming home for Christmas. We did a much smaller version of this for Danny when he came home for Christmas this past year.
If you know a veteran or active duty military, even if it's the greeter at Wal-mart: Stop and tell them how much you appreciate what they did for our country. It wasn't/isn't an easy job they have, but we seem to easily overlook them.
