Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2007. Mattie was five years old. That day we ventured to Andrews Air Force base to attend their annual air show. Since Mattie was fascinated by planes and the military, this seemed like the perfect adventure. This was our first and only visit to the air show, but it was a day I will never forget. Mattie got to tour through planes, meet military members, and even see the Thunderbirds perform. The show was unforgettable and the sound was deafening. It left us all in awe of the incredible service members in our country.
Quote of the day: Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. ~ Harry S. Truman
When I was married, our tradition was to watch the National Capitol Memorial Day Concert. Living so close to the National Mall at the time, made the whole concert even more meaningful to us. Now that I am divorced, I still continue the tradition with my parents. My dad served in the US Army, as a surgical nurse. He is very proud of his service and has some amazing stories. Stories which he can still recall.... everything from assisting with a leg amputation to riding in a gurney outside a helicopter, high up in the air! Though my dad may not be clued into everything, he is still moved by music, patriotism, and learning about service members.
If you did not see the concert last night, I included a link to some of the service members honored at the concert. Chuck Kohler was in the audience. He is 102 years old and the last Pearl Harbor survivor. Hearing Noah Wyle eloquently deliver Chuck's story to the audience was so powerful, as Chuck was just a teenager in the Navy. Chuck grew up in a poor family and he wanted to leave home and make a life for himself. On the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked, he was in a building typing a note to his family. What was a happy moment, turned into great tragedy. When the bombing started, he was told to retreat and jump into a dug out area. However, he was going to have NONE of that, and instead, went to get ammunition and began the fight. He said if he was going to die, he was going to die fighting for his country. Truly a remarkable story and it is hard to believe that he is the only Pearl Harbor survivor still alive, and I can imagine what history and memories will die with him.
The other story that captured my heart was Patricia Horoho. Patricia is a nurse by training who was at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. She was one of the first responders on the scene and heroically helped over 75 patients. Her story is moving, and given that I was alive and experienced this national catastrophe it has even deeper meaning to me. I remember September 11th like it were yesterday. I was home and pregnant with Mattie, and my other half was at work. I will never forget the horror and panic. I felt distraught and unable to determine whether we needed to evacuate the city. The only consolation for me personally that day was that I wasn't alone. That I had someone who was coming home to me, and that we would face this tragedy together.
I am beyond overwhelmed hearing the stories of service members, and listening to why they serve! So many of us can't comprehend giving our lives up for a cause, for the greater good. I am in awe of those who are willing to put their life on the line for our freedom and security and I am naturally heartbroken for gold star families and families who lost a loved one in September 11. I did not lose Mattie through service to our country or through terrorism. My enemy in childhood cancer, and yet I share the same pain and sadness of all parents whose children have died. For those of us left behind, our lives are forever changed. We remember our children always, we want to hear their names, and with each milestone and holiday, we wonder.... what would our child be like today?
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