Veteran's Day

My original thought for today's post was going to be a Wordless Wednesday, but once it dawned on me that it's also a holiday I changed my mind. My family is full of veterans and currently enlisted soldiers. I only have a few pictures, but not on my computer. I do have a link to a slideshow so I'll list him first.

Our family, by blood or by marriage:
Carl Powers (Poseidon's maternal step-grandfather)served in the US Navy during WWII and the Korean conflict. He passed away almost 3 years ago, and we inherited many of his things from his time in the service.

Slideshow Link

My paternal grandfather, still living, served during Korea in the USAF. I posted this picture of Grandma and Grandpa a few years ago; they were stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska at the time. The photo wasn't labeled but based on marriage and birth dates, I'm guessing it was taken between 1953 and 1955:



The man who "adopted" my mom after she married Dad, Harold Applegate. He always was and will be my Papaw! He served in the USAF during Korea as well; I know he was stationed in Texas at some point and I believe that's where he met Mamaw. Papaw passed in January of 2005; this picture is from September 1998:



Mom's biological father was also enlisted during Korea. I don't have any information other than he served during Korea, I want to say he was also USAF but it could have been Army. I currently have no pictures of him.


Next generation: Again, no pictures currently, but I do have names. All still living.
Uncle "Apple", USAF, stationed in Texas during the Vietnam War era.
Uncle Gene, US Army, did a tour in Vietnam.
Uncle Kevin, US Army Firefighter, stationed in Alaska at the end of the 1970's.

My generation: No pictures of these folks on my computer, all still living and many still enlisted.
Jeff H., US Army, served in Operation Desert Storm
David B., Kentucky National Guard since 1990
Jeremy H., USAF
Mike W., USAF
Clay W., Washington National Guard, due to deploy by the end of this month for his second tour in Iraq ~ {keep him in thought and prayer, he'll be gone 18 months and is a dad to 5 kids!}
Tiffany W.(Clay's wife), US Army, just returned from a tour in Kuwait.
Scott W., US Navy
Byron S. (cousin Jennifer's husband), US Navy

And I'm sure there are some I've probably forgotten. Those are just the ones that immediately come to mind! I have friends from high school - Katie and Robb O. are Marines, Chris H. is in the Army, Danny C. was USAF, Tim G. was KY National Guard, and there may be others - and know still more women through my parenting forum who are military wives, all branches. If I dug out my folders I could even list my and Poseidon's ancestors going back to the Civil War.


All of the above, just to say:
Thanks, all of you. Thank you so much. For your bravery, for your fighting in my stead, for all you have done and will do - 'thank you' isn't even enough, but it's what I've got!