I bought my veteran husband a stars-and-stripe pinwheel at
the 99 cent store to thank him for the time he put into the reserves and on
call up for the Berlin crisis—the crisis that didn't turn into war. There are
many vets like him who were willing to fight and their willingness was the
reason we had no war. Our family has very few vets—it's a family of mostly
women who lived before women were equals in the war efforts (though I know many
were, in fact, very equal!). So today I'm remembering my uncle Jim Heatly,
Navy, deceased; Douglas Howard, now in his 90s, Army, Pacific Theater; Robert
W. McElroy, Air Force, a pilot who volunteered for WWII before conscription,
deceased; my grandson @Travis Lamoureaux, father of one and one on the way, who
served in the all volunteer Army in Iraq--twice; and, of course, @Lance
Johnson, my dear husband who volunteered again right after 9/11 and was turned
away because only young soldiers were needed or wanted—a big mistake in my
opinion.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence. Find it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/. Her novel, collection of creative nonfiction and much of her poetry is informed by interest in leading the world toward acceptance of one another. Find her web page dedicated to tolerance at http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/tolerence_and_utah_links.htm. If your Twitter followers would be interested, please pass this on to them using this widget:
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