I am the daughter of a Colonel in the United States Army... I refer to my daddy in the present, even though he has passed away, as he is still my daddy... that has not and will not ever change and he is always close by, watching over me... and in my heart... daddy was (is) a WWII Vet and received numerous commendations and medals, one of the highest being the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Clusters... I am so proud of my daddy... he loved (loves) his Country so, and proudly and bravely fought to defend it...
Besides wanting the words "Husband, Father, and Grandfather" on his headstone, he also wanted the word "Patriot" on it... it is, and so is he... I love you daddy and I miss you so much... not far from my daddy's grave, is that of a lone soldier from another war... I have been coming to this spot for the past twenty eight years to bring flowers to my mama, who is next to my daddy... and now for my daddy and my sister Jo who is close by... not once, in all of those twenty eight years have I ever seen anyone visit this soldier's grave... not one flower, not one flag... nothing... my heart aches for this lonely soldier, who so bravely served our Country in WWI... somehow, I feel a closeness to this soldier I have never met... some years ago, I decided then and there to "adopt" this brave soldier who dedicated his life to keeping us free... I want him to know he will never be forgotten...
So today, when I take my little flag to my daddy, I shall also take a little flag to my "adopted" soldier... I like to think he is looking down at his little flag, smiling... and listening to me as I sit on the lawn and talk to him... telling him how proud I am of him, and my daddy, and all of our Veterans... and the men and women who currently serve in our Armed Forces... what are you doing to honor these people today?... I hope it is something straight from your heart... as their service is to us... God Bless America... xoxo... PS I just read my friend Amy Arnaz's post for today, and she played this clip... I hope you don't mind Amy that I borrowed it... Amy's daddy was (is) a patriot too, and so are Amy and her husband Desi... please take time to look at this wonderful tribute... if it doesn't put a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes... you have a problem...xoxo "The soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war"... ~General Douglas MacArthur 1880~1964
19 comments:
Incredibly touching. Beautiful blog!
Julie, thank you for posting the quote from General MacArthur. I would like to add it to my blog today. Thank you for sharing about your daddy today. My father-in-law, now passed away, had 2 ships in the pacific shot down. He never spoke about it. We must never forget those sacrifices. Thank you.
I realized the same thing. I guess for today, we are each going for remembering our Veterans before anything else.
HELLO SWEET JULIE MARIE...
LOVE YOUR POST TODAY :) IT TOUCH MY HEART, MY SON IN LAW SERVED OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY FOR FOUR YEARS IN THE MARINES, SO DID MY SWEET GIRL :) HIS WIFE :) GOD PLEASE ALL OF OUR FALLING HERO'S!!! YOU ARE SO KIND TO ADOPT YOUR VETERAN :) AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR DAD WITH US :) GOD BLESS HIM :)
HUGLETS~XO~MARI
Julie Marie this is just beautiful.
As you know this is a hard one for me this year.
I thought about doing a post, which I usually do each time but realized I couldn't do one.
It is to hard to even type the words when I know my son is over in Afghanistan serving right now. I pray for all the military and their families including all the fallen and past.
Thank you for being a great person and sharing your daddy and another fallen soldier.
Blessings
Hi Julie,
What a beautiful tribute to your wonderful Daddy as well as the many brave men and women who gave their service to keep us free. Forever they will and well should be honored.
I also love that you remember the lone soldier near your Daddy. It is so like you to open your heart and care about the forgotten.
I too share a post for today, one from last year with an update. It has no comments on purpose,but it does not show in the update of goggle. Not sure why, but it is there.
Thank you Julie for being the Patriot that you are. You are a friend after my own heart.
Have a wonderful Veteran's Day!
Love to you, Celestina Marie
What a beautiful post and tribute to Veteran's Day. It warms my heart that you adopted that lonely soldier.
Beautiful tribuets, Julie...love that you adopted that soldier. I sit and talk to loved ones near their graves, too...feels good, doesn't it? I know they hear me...
I hope your day is beautiful, my friend.
Julie
God Bless you Julie, as you stated in your comments on my blog, so many do not remember this day and that is very sad to me. Where would we be with out all our brave soldiers? God Bless your family, Char
Julie, a lovely tribute to your father and the soldier who is no longer alone with you visiting him. God bless them all because we know freedom is never free.
Your daddy was a true hero, you have every right to be proud!
Have a wonderful Thursday!
Hugs,
Anne
What a beautiful tribute post for your father, Julie Marie! It is more than lovely that you've adopted the soldier and bring him flowers, it really touches my heart. Have you ever looked up his name just to see if there's something about him regarding the war? You're in my heart today and all our veterans so brave!!!
Love to you,
~Tracie
Hi Julie Marie,
I will try again...considering all that happened tonight I am glad to be back on. :)
Love your post about your father and also that you have adopted a veteran. That is so special and you are an amazing person! I am glad to call you my friend!
Blessings~
Julie Marie,
Thank you. Thank you for this perfect reminder of how much love and gratitude is needed here. You are so kind and so sweet.
Hugs!
Heartfelt and beautiful. I love our veterans. So sweet of you to notice and visit one you have never met. It's just like you.
How proud you must be of your father!
And how lucky we all are that there were and still are men like him!
m ^..^
I couldn't sleep so I am up...
This is truly touching my friend. I love your daddy and the unknown solider you adopted and I don't even know them...
Love to you~
Rebecca
how moving and remarkable, we are all proud of your Dad!
Karen
Good Morning Julie Marie~
I thought of you yesterday placing flowers & flags on your father's gravesite and also on the gravesite of Raymond. Cemeteries are very sad to me because there are so many buried who have been forgotten. Rotary gives a Service Beyond Self Award to people who perform services for the sake of service ~ beyond self. Your service to Raymond is just that. xoxo Amy
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