On Friday, November 11, 2016... I gave my first true public speech. I was honored to be asked to give the key note speech for the American Legion Post 218 in my home town of Washington, Missouri. It was bitter sweet for me. On October 23rd, my mother passed away suddenly. On November 6th, I gave her Celebration of Life speech and on the following day, we had her interred with our father at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery with military honors. It was extremely important to me that I give this presentation because I knew it was something that she was very proud of me being asked to do. To all my veterans, thank you for you service in uniform and continued service out of uniform.
"Commander Lay and Mr. Brinker, I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak.
First, I want to take care of the elephant in the room. Who his the person and what credibility does she have to be standing in front of us today? I have not served this nation as a member of any branch of the armed forces. I am the daughter of two Air Force veterans, one the Korean War and the other the Vietnam Era; the niece of two World War 2 veterans; the granddaughter of an immigrant and a mother of two amazing young men. I am a 26 year teaching veteran in our public education system. A social studies teacher at heart that teaches students with identified educational disabilities. While the classroom I am assigned is in the English hallway...while the courses I am assigned to teach are junior and senior English, Personal Finance, and College 101...I teach from the historical perspective. The walls are covered with two American flags - one of which has hung for 26 years, photos of both my parents in their service uniforms, Marine Corps motivational posters, a podium bearing the leadership traits of our military branches; photos of students from the school I teach at that have entered the military and are now either serving or have joined our quickly growing veteran population, photos of young men that have been killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan. I am a very humbled and blessed citizen teacher that recognizes that the freedoms that I have every day are because of the service and sacrifices that you and your families have given. For that, I thank you.
This year, the national poster for Veteran’s Day has a sole head of an American Bald Eagle with the word “COURAGE” in all capital letters and the traditional phrase “honoring all that have served.” When looking in the dictionary, courage is a noun - person, place or thing - with the definition of “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty,danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.” For many of us, courage is a verb - an action word - for me, I have seen courage as action.
In January of 2008, a former student was killed in action while serving in Baghdad, Iraq. It changed how I taught, parented, existed.
I found myself becoming more involved as a support vehicle for the Patriot Guard Riders. I worked along side a Gold Star Father that honored his son by setting up the flags at Jefferson Barracks for memorial services...Courage as Action.
I started presenting to students in our United States History classes and asked the question, “What do you stand for?” I met Julie Vinnedge, an amazing Gold Star Mother, whose son was killed in action in Afghanistan after being in country 16 days. Every time that I am blessed to volunteer with Fallen Hero’s Dream Ride and Dream Riders, I see courage as action.
Miss Julie is the type of person that you do not say no to. Actually, you say yes before you even know what you have gotten yourself into. She came to me and said that she wanted me to work with a small GWOT veteran group. During this time, I met a number of GWOT veterans. Each one has allowed me into their worlds as far as they feel safe allowing me to go. I have seen them conquer addiction to drugs, alcohol, prescription drugs...I have seen them isolate, I have grieved with them as they continue to lose brothers or sisters to suicide. Courage as Action.
I have seen them learn to walk again and to learn to live with new visible and invisible wounds. Courage as Action.
I have seen them fight the Veterans Administration’s answer to solving the symptoms of PTSD by coming off the debilitating levels of benzodiazepines and other medications. Courage as Action.
I have watched a small group of Vietnam Veterans, for the past 15 years, come and present to our US History classes about their experiences. I have watched them heal, continue to heal, and to embrace a new generation of Veterans. Courage as Action.
I said that I have two American Flags in my classroom...that second flag hangs as a reminder of how courage is action. It is ripped through the lower middle portion and while I am very aware that to hang a flag that is ripped is considered disrespectful, it is with the utmost respect that it hangs there.
On May 20th, 2013 an F5 tornado brought the community of Moore, Oklahoma to it’s knees. The 1.3 mile wide tornado ripped through 17 miles … 24 people died … 7 of which were children at Plaza Towers Elementary. Our small group quickly mobilized to deploy to assist in the search, rescue, and recovery efforts. Two deployments of our group were already there when I arrived 4 days later with supplies and donations. Seeing the coverage of the damage on the news did not prepare me for what I woke up to the next morning. As we set out on missions and scouted intel, I watched a group of veterans that were struggling in their daily lives to find purpose and define courage as action. I saw smiles and heard laughter that I rarely saw or heard. Their unique skill set from their tours of Iraq and Afghanistan had found a purpose in their civilian lives. I saw courage as action when a little boy, that had been picked up prior to the tornado hitting Plaza Towers Elementary by his father and had not spoken since, was given a paracord bracelet by one of the veterans that carried the name of his battle buddy that was killed in action. Courage as Action.
That second flag is a constant reminder of Courage as Action.
Today, I come and ask you to be Courage as Action.
To not look at your service as in the past tense. To embrace a new generation of veterans and their families. To embrace a new generation of Gold Star Families and remind them that their loved one’s ultimate sacrifice is not forgotten.
When I was asked by Commander Lay to present a few months ago, I told my mother first and asked her if she would do me the honor of being here. She said that she would and was very proud of me. On Monday, I sat on a bench in one of Jefferson Barracks Committal Shelters next to my sister as a Navy veteran handed my sister and I her burial flag and stated “from a grateful nation.” Those are words that as a veteran, you may seldom hear but from a grateful nation, from this grateful citizen….I thank you for the Courage as Action through your military service and ask you to continue to be Courage as Action after your military service.
Thank You"
