Happy Veterans Day 2015: My Watch #veteransday

My airplane descended into Frankfurt, Germany, late November 1986 without incident. I collected my duffle bags and found the bus that would take me to the Rhein Main Air Base. It was bone-chilling cold that day and snow littered the ground. After waiting an extra day, the Army found me a unit to go to: the 583^rdOrdnance Company.  My watch had begun.

Me in Basic Training 1986

I joined the US Army in July 1986, filled with Patriotism. My President was Ronald Reagan and I was proud to serve my country. Sure, I was young, but I believed in my country, its freedoms, and the Constitution. I still do.

The first major event on my watch was the Fall of the Berlin Wall 3 years later. Hungary and Poland eased travel restrictions in the fall of 1989 and East Germany followed suit.  East Germany forced its leader out of office and a new government took over.  On 9 NOV 1989 the government announced new travel requirements to take effect “immediately” and the Berlin Wall came down.

My plane landed in Frankfurt on 10 NOV 1989. It was bone chilling cold day and snow littered the ground. I started my 2^nd tour in Germany, part of V Corps, assigned to the headquarters unit in the 11^th ACR. I witnessed Germany unification firsthand on 3 OCT 1990. History came alive for me that day. History I’ll never forget. The Cold War ended on my watch, and I’m most proud of that achievement.

The next major event on my watch was Operation Desert Shield/Storm (Gulf War I). Iraq invaded Kuwait and we fought back. I remained in Germany. The 11^th ACR deployed in support of Operation Positive Force from June-Sep 1991.

In DEC 1995 I arrived in Frankfurt for my 3^rd tour in Germany. My company deployed from DEC 95-96 in support of Operation Joint Guard, however I stayed in the rear. The following summer I deployed to Hungary from JUL-OCT 97 as part of the SFOR (Stabilization Force) a NATO peace enforcement mission. 

I left the Army in NOV 1997 after 11 years of service. My watch had ended. Since FEB 2000, I have worked as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I’m proud of my service, and proud to support the US Army during these events. I met some great people in the military and I’m grateful for Facebook so I can keep up with them. 

Since then, the military has been tasked with several worldwide missions dealing with the war on terror – from the Army to the Air Force to the Navy and Marines, and I just want to thank everyone who has served. It isn’t an easy job. Thank you for your patriotism, your sacrifice, and ensuring the freedom of this great country. 

Happy Veterans Day: Thank a Vet #veteransday

Sgt. Alvin C. York, WWI

In honor of Veterans Day, I thought I'd share the story of Alvin c. York, a World War I veteran who became one of the most decorated soldiers of World War I.

York was born in the hills of Tennessee in December 1887. He was the 3^rd of 11 kids. Poor to the bone, the Yorks grew their own food. Alvin's mom knitted their clothes, and Alvin's dad worked as a blacksmith to supplement their income. The family hunted small game as well, which probably helped developed Alvin's extraordinary sharpshooting skills.

In 1911, Alvin's father died. Alvin went to work at the railroad to support his family. He also earned a reputation as a violent alcoholic. In June 1917, he registered for the draft. (as all young men had to) There's some controversy round him asking for conscientious objector status, but in his diary he stated he never asked for conscientious objector status. (His mother was a known and passionate pacifist, so I bet that had something to do with it.)

In October 1918, near Chatel-Chehery, France, Alvin earned the Medal of Honor. As a Corporal, York and his unit of men, roughly 15 total, snuck behind a heavily fortified German position. Half were killed. Under heavy machine gun fire, York and his squad fired back. 6 German soldiers in a nearby trench changed him with fixed bayonets. York shot and killed them all with his .45 Colt automatic pistol. As the losses mounted for the Germans, 1^st Lieutenant Paul Vollmer surrendered to York. York and his squad of 7 men marched 132 German prisoners back to American lines.

General John J. Pershing presented York with his medal of honor and he was promoted to Sergeant. Alvin received approximately 50 military decorations for his service in World War I.

Upon his return to the States, York's bravery made the headlines. He received tours of New York City and Washington DC. When he entered the US House of Representatives, they gave him a standing ovation.

In June 1919, York got married. He's a busy bee and has 8 children: Woodrow Wilson, Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, Betsy Ross, and Thomas Jefferson just to name a few. He died in September 1964 after a series of health related problems. He'd gained weight and was plagued with strokes.

His story was told by Hollywood in 1941. The movie was called "Sergeant York," and it was based on the diary Alvin kept during World War I. Gary Cooper won an academy award for his role in the movie.

Who are your military heroes? I'd love to hear your stories. Thank a Veteran today. It means a lot to them. 

Adventures of Cub Scout Mom: A visit to the USS Midway #USSMidway #veteransday

On the USS Midway at night

When my son's Cub Scout Pack said they were going to visit the USS Midway, I got very excited. I like all things military. I served in the US Army from 1986-1997, and I got to see places I would never have if I didn't serve.

I signed up the family right away, ironed all our uniforms, and waited impatiently for the day to arrive.  Mind you, I don't know anything about the Navy, so I was looking forward to visiting the Midway and discovering a lot.  Did I!

Planes on the flight deck

The trip down to San Diego took us 3 ½ hours with traffic and we made it with just a couple of minutes to spare. At 5 pm, we lined up and went into the enclosed hanger bay where we received a safety briefing, had a fire drill, and met our staff for our overnight stay. I'd guess there were about 75 of us total and we all wore our uniforms.

We received our sleeping quarters in the enlisted berthing area and I was shocked at how small they were. It was like a tin can with just enough room to move around.

Sleeping in the tin can

 Interesting Note: Usually when I go anywhere there's always a long line for the ladies room. Not so here. On Cub Scouts outings, there's more boys and men. No wait for the ladies room!

The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and eager. They were very appreciative of us veterans, reminding everyone that freedom is not free and that veterans have paid for everyone's freedom. They acknowledged us in a ceremony that was quite nice, but there was only a handful of us.

We ate dinner on the ship in the gallery downstairs. Chow was lasagna and very tasty. Afterwards, we went on a scavenger hunt and learned what life was like for the officers and pilots on the ship.

Learning about the anchors

 Our staff gave us guided tours of the engine room, (Joe's favorite part of the visit was acting like steam) the emergency control center, the flight deck, the bridge and catapult control rooms.

We learned what an air boss was, and how aircraft catapult off an aircraft carrier and how they land using a tail hook. The cables used for the tail hooks are heavy and thick. After 100 times, the cables were considered used up and thrown into the ocean.

On the bridge

So where do you think they threw leftover food and other waste?

We went to bed at 1030 pm and after all that climbing and walking, we were so pooped that sleeping in a tin can wasn't a big deal.

The next morning we had breakfast – tasty for Navy chow, but I kept it light. During our free time the boys used the simulators and we saw all the planes on the flight deck.

We got our souvenirs, said goodbye to the staff, and headed out.

A plane with the tail hook

The Midway and its story fascinated me. The ship was constructed during World War II and was originally a straight landing strip aircraft carrier. It entered service in September 1945, just missing the war by a month! Believe it or not, it was built ON TIME and IN BUDGET!!

It spent time in the Mediterranean Sea in the late 1940's. Unfortunately it's too wide to go through the Panama Canal. In the early 1950's, it went to the Pacific. From 1955-57, it was retrofitted and updated, acquiring its angled flight deck.

It conducted combat missions in Vietnam and got another retrofit in the 1960's. In 1975, Yokosuma, Japan was named the Midway's homeport.

Midway served in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and helped evacuate Clark Air Base when Mt. Pinatubo blew.  In 1992, it was decommissioned. After sitting in a shipyard up in Washington State, it was brought down to San Diego and made into a museum in 2004.

Giving the "go" for Catapult

The USS Midway served 47 years. Amazing for a ship. It wasn't run on nuclear power, but steam. My thanks go out to the Midway and it's sailors for serving our country.

Anyone visit the Midway or have a Navy adventure they'd like to share with us?  For those reading my blog who have served in the Armed Forces of your country or have relatives serving: thank you. 

Thank you to all the Veterans out there

I just want to say thank you to all the Veterans out there for serving in your country's armed forces. I'm a Veteran myself, having served in the US ARMY between 1986-1997 as an MP (Military Police). I thought I'd share a little bit about my Army life with you all today.

Taken in Butzbach, 1990. This was at my dining-in at PLDC. (Primary Leadership Development) The guy in the picture is my husband. We met at PLDC and married in NOV 14 1991.

Taken in East Germany in 1988. I am wearing my Class "B" uniform. This is in East Berlin at Treptower Park.

In Fulda, Germany NOV 1989, right after the fall of the wall.

Taken in Kaspovar, Hungary in 1997.

Me in my Dress Blues, OCT 1997.


I went to Ft. McCellan, AL in JUL 1986 to attend my Basic & AIT Training. I finished in NOV 1986.

My Duty assignments:

Munster, Germany
295th MP Company, Romulus, NY
11th ACR, Fulda/Bad Hersfeld, Germany
NTC Ft. Irwin, CA
127th MP Co., Hanau, Germany
90 Day Deployment to Taszar,Hungary JUL-OCT 1997.

A Little About Veterans Day:

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday honoring armed service veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11th. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

In June 1954 Armistice was replaced with Veterans Day in the United States and it's been that way since.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day


If you're a Veteran, feel free to share your branch service. Where have you been? When did you get out? Give a shout out to the military member in your family.

Most of all, feel free to thank a Veteran for their service. They really appreciate it.

My lastest book is a steampunk romance, A GENTLEMAN AND A ROGUE. You can find info for it here:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-366/The-Windsor-Diaries-Book/Detail.bok

A History of Veterans Day

World War I Veteran

World War I, known as the Great War, ended with an armistice declared on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in November 1918. An armistice is a temporary stop to war hostiles. At the time, no one believed there could be a war greater than World War I. The final peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, was signed in 1919. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, proclaimed "Armistice Day," on November 11, 1919.

President Wilson's intent was to reflect on the sacrifice and heroism of those who died in service to the country during the Great War, and to show gratitude for having won the war. Armistice Day was marked with a suspension of business for two minutes starting at 11 a.m. Parades and public meetings were also encouraged. Throughout the years, two minutes of silence is observed by the President during Veterans Day activities.

In 1920, France and Great Britain honored their war dead on the second anniversary of the armistice by dedicating their countries' Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In 1921, Congress followed suit and approved the American Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The dedication ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery on November 11. Congress also declared November 11, 1921 a legal, federal holiday to honor those who participated in the war.

Throughout the 1920's and 1930's, most states celebrated November 11, Armistice Day, as a legal state holiday. Back then, the states had the final say as to what days they were going to celebrate as holidays, and most followed the federal holiday schedule. During this time, on the national level, the president issued an annual proclamation. It wasn't until 1938 that Congress officially made November 11 a federal legal holiday.

With veterans from World War II and the Korean War, President Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 that changed November 11 from "Armistice Day," to "Veterans Day," honoring all those who had served.

Me in Army Dress Blues, 1997


During the 1970's, the Veterans Day holiday was held on the fourth Monday of October to accommodate a federal three-day holiday law, but a lot of states felt that was too close to Columbus Day, and so they held their observances on the traditional date of November 11. In 1978, legislation was passed that officially made November 11 the day of observance for Veterans Day.

The importance of Veterans Day is to honor all veterans for their patriotism and willingness to serve their country. As an interesting note, the holiday is commonly misspelled as Veteran's Day or Veterans' Day. It is observed on the federal, state, and local levels of government, however, most businesses remain open.

I'm a veteran and I'm honored to have served my country. I served from 1986-1997 and spent 7 years overseas in Germany. I was an US Army MP (military police). I went to two leadership schools and obtained the rank of Staff Sergeant before getting out of the army.


You can also find this article on my Associated Content Account at:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/453565/from_armistice_day_to_veterans_day_pg2.html?cat=9

Veterans Day

Hi all. Most of you know I served in the Army from 1986-1997. I joined a Private E-1 and left a Staff Sergeant E-6. I was an MP and proud to be one, too. And while my time in the military was low key, I thought I'd share my thoughts and memories on my time in the military.

From Wikipedia:
Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. A federal holiday, it is observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)


US President Woodrow Wilson declared the Holiday on 11 NOV 1919.


I joined the US Army on 8 JULY 1986, one month after I turned 18. My reasons for joining the military at such a tender age were varied, yet very real to me. Quite honesty, I had no prospects. I wanted to go to college, but I had no money. I wanted to get away from my mother, I wanted to see "the world" while I was young, not old. I did my Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. McClellan, AL, home of the MP Corp. Now, I believe the MP Corp is at Ft. Leavenworth in KS.

Me in Tazsur, Hungary receiving an Award.

I was sent to Germany in DEC 1986 and my first assignment was at the 583rd Ordnance company. It was certainly an eye-opening experience! I fell in love with Germany and Europe. I went on several volksmarches (which is a another blog post onto itself!) I went to Berlin in 1988 before the wall fell, and I went to Salzburg, Austria, Garmish, and Berchesgarden. I spent a year in Romulus, NY at the 295th MP Co and then I went to MPI school. In NOV 1989, I was sent back to Germany where I was stationed at Fulda and Bad Hersfeld in support of the 11th ACR. I saw the Berlin Wall Fall and I was there when Germany was united as a nation on 3 OCT 1990. Gulf War I broke out, but my unit stayed in Germany. My fiance deployed to Kuwait in June 1991. (after major combat was done) After a tour at Ft. Irwin I went back to Germany in 1995. I deployed to Hungary in the summer of 1997 in support of the peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia.

My time in the military was full of highs and lows, (like failing my PT tests and doing remedial PT, but even then I learned I had to work harder to get what I wanted) but the rich experiences have made me a better person. I got my college education, graduating with a BS from California Baptist University in 1995. I've done things and seen things most people that age usually don't. I know the hardship and loneliness many have when away from loved ones during the holidays. I know the sacrifice.

To those who have served in the military, thank you for your service. I'm proud to be a veteran.

Smiles
Steph