Caring for our Veterans

Because of You, Unknown Soldier By Courtney Tanabe Because of you, I am here Because of you, I am able to live freely Yet I do not know you And I have not done anything for you But there you stand, ready to fight And there you are prepared to die For me You've fought before And you'll fight again For someone you don't know So thank you Unknown Soldier Fighting for me I'm here because of you And I owe my future to you

Bill--U S Army Today was the second day I met Bill. We talked about alot of the same stories as last week, but he also told me he was married for 51 years and told me the story of his wife's passing.  What a sweet man. I can tell he truly loved her. His children don't  visit often and he looks as if he should be at home.  I don't  know his whole story, but I'm here to listen, when he wants to talk.  I love spending time with these men and women we call Veterans. I will always be here to listen and laugh with you Bill!

Fort Benning, Georgia was a new chapter for Kenneth Ivory.  I don't  know nor have I I ever met him, but he was a true American Hero! Let's go back to the beginning.  I have been working on a scrapbook for 76 men killed in Vietnam.   I stumbled  upon Kenneth Ivory's wife. They were married for a very short time before he headed off to war, never to return. I can't  begin to imagine how she felt or what she went through. Her name was Helen and was a young bride sending her husband off to war, never to see him again.  Such a sad story.  Helen was nice enough to give me a few photos, her wedding album and Kenny's yearbook from Fort Benning. I am honored to be able to turn the pages and see part of her life and part of Kenny's.  It is so hard not to let the tears fall as I look through  these treasures.  A dream of a long happy life that suddenly changed as quickly as the leaves on a tree. I am honored to be able to put a few...

I have a new appreciation of our Veterans.   During the last several months I have spent hours at the Veterans Home getting to know the men and women that have given up so much for us. To sit and listen as they talk, sometimes just a little and other times you can't get away from them.  To see them break down with tears in their eyes as the talk to you as if they are still overseas as if it was yesterday. I cannot express how much it means to these people to just spend a little bit of time with them.  It melts my heart to see the joy on their face when you stop in to say hello!