Monday, May 31, 2010, Memorial Day, Nashville, Tennessee, 7:35 a.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

I, the daughter of a Veteran, sit here and think of all the freedoms that we, as a nation, enjoy today (although it sseme lately that they are starting to be taken away ... ).  It is the memories of those who have gone on to their final reward in the sky (as well as the sacrifices made by my own father, Armand P. Moliere') that I honor today.

My daddy went into the United States Air Force in his twenties -- only to be turned away shortly thereafter after enlisting because he was found to have "flat feet".  It devastated him; he wanted nothing more than to serve his country. 

He never made it past basic training.

Armand is very pro-military; it is because of his own (all too brief) military career that I am proud to call him my father.  He believed in the American ideals of freedom, liberty, and "the pursuit of happiness".  He still believes in this ethic today.  Several of his brothers (all deceased) did, in fact, serve our country:  they were in the Army-Air Corps, the Navy, the Marines, the Coast Guard; so all branches of the military are represented on my father's side of the family.  Fortunately, they all came home, but none of my uncles would talk about their wartime/military experiences; they carried this pain with them to their graves.

It broke my heart to see the hurt in their eyes, but I respected their wishes.  I just wish I could have done more to ease the quiet suffering that they held inside of them.

On Bil's side of the family, only one of his brothers (the "baby", Carl) saw military life.  He was a U.S. Marine; he was in for four years.  He never left the States:  all during his Marine duty, he stayed at Millington, in nearby Memphis!  He worked in the communications department. 

He still lives in Memphis, Tennessee, to this day, with his family.  It's home to him.

I have many co-workers at my hospital job who were in the military:  Roberto M. Sormiento, for one.  He, like my brother-in-law, went into the Marines.  He went in shortly after September 11, 2001, happened; he ended up going to Afghanistan for two years.  He is still in the Marine Reserves:  once a month, he goes to Millington for training exercises.  If he could reenlist into the Marines, he would do it again, in a heartbeat, but family and his career prevented him from reenlisting.

I have other co-workers (Juan, Oscar, Tollie, etc.) who were in the National Guard; some still serve and periodically go wherever they are needed, such as the time with the recent flooding they had here in Nashville.

In addition, I have taken care of many Veterans during my tenure as a nurse; I remember them as well.  I wonder how they are doing; I wonder if they even remember or even think of me or about how hard we worked to save them when they came to our hospital.  I honor them as well.

Today, our city is having special Memorial Day services.  In the morning is our parade (at ten sharp) at one of the local high schools (this is where they are  meeting); in the afternoon there will be speeches at Centennial Park, and in the evening, there will be special patriotic or military-themed music, more speeches, honoring those who serve(d), and to cap it off, a giant fireworks display.  It will be a very busy day indeed.

I am off today, but I am meeting some of my Veteran friends, where we will have a picnic lunch after the parade.  I and my family are meeting them at Centennial Park.  It will be almost like a happy family reunion; some of them I haven't seen in several years.

Well, I am going to go:  have to get the family ready and make sure that my father is ready as well.  Then we will probably go out to breakfast at Shoney's and head over to the high school for the parade.  Several of my children (as well as daddy Armand)  are participating in the parade; we have to be at the high school by nine.  (Going to get take out today.  *groan*  That'll take a week ... LOL)  Until next time, this is Louisiana signing off.  Take care and God bless; remember the sacrifices made by our Veterans.  If it were not for them, we wouldn't enjoy the freedoms that we have today.

~Love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May.  :)  *SALUTE*