Monday's Heroes

Today is Memorial Day. I would like to honor our family war heroes especially but all who have served in the military faithfully through the generations. This is a holiday that was originally started to honor the dead of the Civil War. As far as I know there are none to honor on my side of the family but on my sweet husbands side of the family there many to honor both Union and Confederate - some even from the same family. Clyde's grandfather, Clyde Lester Bailey, Sr drove an ambulance during WWI, and his father, Clyde Lester Bailey, Jr [Bill] was involoved in WWII as was my father, Archie Maynard Brugger (in the clean-up of Germany) but his brother Raphael Brugger was in the thick of the fighting and came home to tell the tale.

My father made a career of the military as a surgeon in the Army. As a BRAT - it was dream life for me. We traveled all over Europe and lived in Washington DC for 2 years just after the Centennial of the Civil War. It was quite an experience to travel and see the Civil War battlegrounds. At the time I was a little miffed that we saw so many - now I wish I had paid closer attention. When we went to Germany for a second tour in the late 60's - early 70's, I met my husband, Clyde Lester Bailey, III, in Heidelberg Germany, as he was serving in the Army. The military has always been good to me.

I have a son-in-law, Brandon Nordell, who is in the Air Force and serving in Afghanistan as I am writing this piece. I am proud of all of our son-in-laws but today I am especially proud of Brandon for the sacrifice he is making to keep our family safe. Thank you Heather, for marrying such a wonderful man.

Because of the Newport Ward being situated where it is - we have many families coming and going to the War College and being stationed at the Newport Naval Station. I have grown to love so many of them and today I would like to thank those families for their sacrifice. Unfortunately if I started to mention them all by name - I would miss someone and I don't want to do that. I am grateful to all of them. Our country has a violent history - based on war and treaties from the very first. If it wasn't for our military we would not have the nation we had today. I grateful for our people serving everywhere.