Hey Everyone!
Earlier this year my Dad was honored for his military service by Burlington County. Every year (maybe twice a year) our County honors all veterans in a medal ceremony. This year my Dad finally submitted the form (why he didn't let us do it for him who knows).
The ceremony was lovely. It was in the Auditorium of a technical school in our county. Some veterans, mostly WWII vets, were in uniform, vests, hats with pins, handcrafted shirts, etc. Others were dressed in nice polo shirts and dress pants (Dad fits in this category because "I couldn't get one leg into my uniform now.".)The veterans were in the center, family and friends were scattered on the side sections (2 people per honoree). My sister and I sat across the aisle from Dad as we recited the Pledge of Allegiance with our Freeholder's young daughter, stood for the National Anthem and listened as they announced Dad's name.
The veterans were not in any special order and were told they would be walking to the front by row as names were being read alphabetically. Do NOT wait for your name to be read, go to the front with your row. Jill and I were especially glad for this because it meant everything went extrememly fast!
The event was "Emcee"d by a former Army Drill Sergeant, so what did we expect! :)
Jill and I were so moved by the speech our Freeholder gave, the overwhelming gratitude of all the Political and Military people and more often the pride for our father and the realization that pride of and gratitude for his service was something he was not used to outside of our family. Dad did extremely well. He said he did tear up when our Freeholder leaned forward to put the medal around his neck, kissed his cheek and thanked him for his service.
Mom and I had orchestrated a little surprise party for Dad at his golf course following the ceremony. (We had to stop at the farm across from my work on the way home to "pick pumpkins" to carve for Halloween to kill time! :) ) We invited my grandparents (my mom's parents as Dad's are no longer living), my mom's brother and his family, our neighbors on the right (the neighbors on the left, the husband is an Air Force pilot, were in NC at a college reunion), Dad's golf foresome and his twin brother, my Uncle Eddie who was also in Vietnam and his wife.
We made Dad a picture book of all the pictures we could find at the time (we forgot most of the things they sent home were slides), medals, pins (regiment, company and the like), flags and some letters my grandmother had kept from both my Dad and My Uncle Eddie. Mostly, we all enjoyed comparing the current day Dad to the handsome young man of 20-21 years old of yore.
The Handsome young man on the Right in this picture is my Father the day he got his Sergeant stripes. I believe this was while he was in Vietnam.
He has since registered with his outfit (Sorry Veterans, I can never keep straight Unit, Company, Regiment, etc. and what goes where) for their Alumni newsletter. As more and more years pass, stories of his Tour leak out more and more. We are hoping to hear most of them as the years go on, so they will not go untold and become lost as so many do.
Happy Medal Day, Dad! You deserve it!
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