Please don't thank me...but don't take that to mean I'm not thankful.

I tend to shy away from Veteran's Day festivities.  Being thanked for my time in the military makes me a little uncomfortable. There are real military heros out there, but I'm not one of them. I spent four years keeping the planes flying so others could do their job.  I can't think of one single thing I sacrificed in order to be a member of the US Navy. In fact, I think I gained far more than most... four years living in the south of Spain, health care, a house on the beach, friends I still hold dear, not to mention the greatest bit of all...meeting and marrying this amazing man I've shared the last 17 years with!

But when my son asked if I would come to the Veterans' Day assembly at his school, how could I refuse? They had invited parents, family and community members who were vets or active duty. He asked me to go because he wanted people to know that there were girl veterans too. When they asked for all of the vets to stand, I was the only girl. When the 5th graders sang a song about us being their heros, I got a little choked up. Among those of us standing, four wars were represented. The oldest was a Korean war vet, another was one of the last ones out of Iraq. I was in good company.

To the ones I stood side by side with, I'd do it all over again in a heart beat. To the ones I met along the way, I'm ever so glad I did. To the ones whose stories I grew up with, thank you. To the ones still serving, thank you for keeping the watch.