*Click on the day of the month for the daily quote.*

In the beginning, all the world was America....John Locke.

In the beginning all the world was America....free :-) It was a toss up as to which song to play this month....What a Wonderful World....or Born Free. Both sooo appropriate. We are born free, and we definitely live in a wonderful world. Here in America many people see the importance of maintaining our freedom....and they take time out of their lives to serve in our military. From all I read and the few service people I know....they desire all the same things as those of us who remain at home....all the wonderful things that the little four letter word "home" entails. Yet they go away, give up their freedom for a short time, maybe a little longer, maybe forever....to be sure we all enjoy our freedom and things remain the way they are in America....free. I wish I could say something to convey how I personally feel thinking how fortunate I am to live in America....but the words of the Veterans and some of their loved ones say it best. When possible, I requested permission to post many of the articles this month. I was sooo warmed by the nice responses I received. A few authors offered some other articles, and it was amazing how without their knowledge, the stories and poems they sent me perfectly showed the emotional side I have been hoping this calendar would portray. The past few years I have had a few stories about homecomings for soldiers....sometimes not sooo pleasant. This year a retired sailor sent me a story about "pulling into port"....here is just a bit of his story.... 

"It was always so nice to see them reunite with their families. Wives waiting for them on the pier with flowers in one hand and usually one or two cute little brats dressed in miniature sailor suits just waiting for their father. That made the job so much easier to handle. Just knowing someone was waiting for you. This tradition and way of life had been going on for centuries. A different uniform, a newer ship, but still the sailor and his family...I hated leaving the ship when everyone else had a family waiting for them. So I would wait till they all left and under the darker sunset I would depart and head out somewhere. Did not really matter where anymore. Got to that being out at sea was better than pulling in. At least out there you knew you were needed. Your skills, experience and leadership were respected. Coming back pierside was like a blow to the stomach in reality. I tried not to think of the last time I saw my kid waiting on the pier. He was wearing white little cracker jack jumper, damn tore my heart out to think of it. Well, I got to get off this ship. After the silencing of the propulsion and electrical plant the ship seemed kind of eerie"....Jose G. Acosta.

So whether you serve in the service or just wait for someone in the service....it can be a good thing. As Jose said someone caring back home...."made the job so much easier to handle." 

Last year I posted a story about some soldiers sitting around overseas, waiting to come home. They were discussing all the things they were looking forward to when they hit the states....family, friends, a hot meal, a cold drink....little everyday things that are for us a "given" everyday. The little things we take for granted. One soldier said he simply wanted to return to a "grateful nation." 

This spring I read about a soldier in Iraq who was standing in an ocean of sand when he said he would love to see some grass :-)

Act as if what you do makes a difference. 
It does. 
~William James~ 

I hope you will have some time to read the stories this month. Some are written by Veterans and others are written in appreciation of Veterans. When possible, a link to the author's site has been included where you can find more special pieces. On the stories and calendar pages posted this month there are pictures of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines returning from Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places where our troops have been deployed in the past year or so. Also a few departures are pictured, most including their family :-) On the stories there are also pictures of our troops in action while away from home in Afghanistan and Iraq. The music on the calendar is a little older....more along the lines of World War I and II. You will find two quotes on the pages of the calendar. One is in relation to patriotism and one more in relationship to "our" response to freedom. Like I said, I can't put into words what I feel about Veteran's Day very well, but it seems to be not only a day to honor all those who have served and are serving in our armed forces, but also a day to celebrate our freedom :-) So to any Veteran or service person who has "stumbled" across my pages....I hope you have a most wonderful Veteran's Day....and to anyone else who reads this....celebrate your freedom, it is the Veteran's "gift" to you :-) 

....what are warriors?....what is it about them that can, and, on the one hand, lead a grateful nation to figuratively genuflect in their presence or, on the other hand, cause a disappointed nation to treat them as second-class citizens or scapegoats of a failed political policy? What is it about them that inspires poets to immortalize them, and kings and presidents to speak in reverence of them, while, on many occasions, the people who benefit most from their life-threatening sacrifices treat them with indifference if not open hostility? The answer lies in the very fact that warriors are servants. They are servants in a very special sense of the word, for the service they perform is like no other. They are called upon to bear unswerving allegiance to the nation in carrying out its political agenda; to risk life and limb with little explanation; to protect their fellow citizens with no promise of acceptance or gratitude; and to surrender part of their own rights and freedoms so the people they protect can better enjoy their own....Ronald J. Drez.

Aboard A Vessel Far     
American Military Man, The
Americans In Strength   Any Place and On Any Day
Anywhere, Anytime   Battlefield of Heartbreak Ridge, The     
Better Late Than Never   Black Hawk Down   Boom Boom     
Children from the Wall, The   Colonel Maggie and the Blind Veteran
Determined Warriors   Eyes of A Veteran
For the Soldiers   Got Your Back   Greatest Compliment, The     
Homecoming, The   I Saw A Man   I Was A Soldier     
Incoming   Infantryman's Creed, The   Innocence of Heroes
Meaning of IS by Corporal John C. Calhoun, The  
   Medals   My Promise   My Son
Night Stalker Prayer   Nurse Penny
Our Soldiers Cause   Patriotism Lives In Our Schools
Perspective On Vietnam     Remember Our Veterans
Sarge's Last Parachute Jump   Silent Ranks, The
Simple Nod, A   Soldiers All   
Soldier Prayer, A     Soldiers Sacrifice   
Special Forces Prayers   Stuff They don't Give Medals For     
Thank God I Live in the USA
Thank You Dad   Thank You for My World
Thank You to the American Soldier   Thanks for Remembering
Then You're An Infantry Soldier     
They've Done Their Part   Things They Carried   To Our Absent Brothers     
Tommy   Veteran, The   Veteran's Day -- A Soldier's Perspective
Veteran's Pride   Vietnam Blues   
   Voice in the Dark, A   We Were Young Then
What Is A Nam Vet   What Is It That Binds Combat Veterans Together
Who'da Thought It?
Wish You Were Here

Special Veterans In My Life :-)
More Veteran Stories....November 2001
Veteran Stories....November 2002

Collection of Love Quotes

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