Veterans Day Thoughts From a Former Military Wife

But everything changed that day when I watched on my East End television set as bombs were shot off like fireworks, and he came home with talk of Iraq and anthrax vaccines. I was opposed to the series of six toxic injections, and the war, yeah that too.  My opinion didn’t matter. In fact, while I watched images of world wide protests on satellite TV I was told that I was not allowed to express my opposition publicly, because I was an “officer’s wife.”

This post is not meant to be a pity party for me, although those years did take a toll. I am writing about this subject because I want to share what I know to be true about those who serve, and to remind everyone that service includes the family. I enjoyed a video about parenting challenges shared on Facebook the other night titled “People with no kids don’t know.” Today, on Veterans Day, while sympathetic to the challenges of leaving the house with a child who prefers to stay home shoeless, I think there are many more people who don’t know the extent of the experiences of many Veterans.

I am truly grateful that I experienced military life. I would have never known the motivation, stamina, professionalism, responsibility, and brotherhood that resides there.