Skip to main content

Veterans Day Reflections

If you scrolled through Facebook today you have seen numerous beautiful tributes to those who serve, and have served, our country.  I added my own tribute, to our son and my father-in-law, then thought about how many others in my family and extended family have served this country through generations.  This sent me on a hunt through a couple of photo albums, and an email to my sister, as I decided I wanted to reflect on a deeper level than a quick Facebook post.

Our son made the decision to join the Marine Corps after much soul searching.  It was a wonderful decision, and he grew exponentially as he completed 4 years of active duty service, then 4 years inactive.  One of the proudest moments in our life was attending his graduation ceremony in San Diego.  Whether in formal uniform, or work fatigues, he gave his all to serve our country.  Thank you, son!



Daryl's dad, Anthony Koch, served in the Army the last 18 months of WWII, drafted at the age of 36 with 3 young children at home.  He never talked about that walk across Europe, but his map, colored in as the troops advanced, speaks volumes.  As do other items of memorabilia brought home from those life-changing months.


My own father wanted to attend Annapolis, and become a naval officer.  But he was deaf in one ear and didn't pass he physical.  He would have served proudly in the Korean War.  I know he regretted the lost opportunity to serve his country.


Then there are the brothers and nephews and great-nephews who have served.

Daryl's brother, Anthony R. Koch, served in the Navy, part of that time as a Naval photographer.



My brother-in-law, Brian Korb, served in the Air Force, and his son, Justin, in the army.



Pictured below is Tamara, Daryl's niece.  Her husband, Jamie Lindsay, served in the Navy, and their son John is currently serving in the Army.


And there are those unlabeled photographs in albums or boxes, ancestors who served in early battles and helped form our country.  We most certainly must honor them.


As families send their loved ones off to whatever that "service" looks like, we need to also honor those families.  It is not easy to watch someone walk off into the unknown.  The day that Marine came to the door to pick up my son for the start of his training was heartbreaking, full of tears and great swells of pride.  Though I worried about the outcome of this decision, I knew he was doing what he needed to do, a job that had meaning and purpose.

Thank you.  Thank you to those in the service, and those at home.  We thank all these people not just on this day, but on every day.  For without their service, we would not have the freedoms we do today. And if you watch the news, you know we have many.



Comments

Jeanie said…
What a family legacy, Sandy. I thank them for their service.

Popular posts from this blog

Happy Week- being home and loving photography

Roamin Meets the GPS- Stories from the Road Lisa, my favorite Curious Girl , created a wonderful idea for a week of "happy" posts. Share those things which make you happy, bring joy to your life, and generally fill you with happy thoughts (I do love the movie Hook , with Robin Williams). We are just returned from our fabulous 23-day, 5600 mile, 10 state, 4 time-zone adventure, and I am filled with happy thoughts today. I am also aware of the piles of laundry, the dirty car, the grocery shopping, and the weary body. Those are not the things I'll share today! Today it's about the joy of road-tripping. The miracle that we live in such a country that everywhere you go you see something to celebrate. I love driving down the road and seeing something new, or different, or unexpected. We drove for a very long time across the upper mid-west, while following signs for "Wall Drugs." Apparently this is a historic stop, originally a place for those who crossed the coun...

Celebrating 100 Posts - A Challenge

Yes, we are closing in on our 100th post . Truly amazing. Thank you for reading and participating, helping keep the ideas, words and photos flowing. In honor of this momentous occasion, let's have a party. A party where "100" is featured. Do not become concerned if an idea doesn't pop into your head right away. You have one week to come up with something which includes 100 . Think party, celebration and fun. Think creatively. Think challenge. Photography is about expressing yourself, and challenging yourself. Here's a real stretcher! Celebrate with us by posting a photo (or series) which depicts the number 100 in some way. Let me know if you're going to participate and I'll create a way for everyone to link to each other's pages - chuckling, laughing, crying and surprising. You'll be amazed what you see when you start looking. Still at a loss? Here is a non-exhaustive look at the number 100: 100 years ago (something nostalgic- there's wigg...

A Blast from the Past

Very hard to photograph at night, with a poor little cell phone.  But you get the idea. (Look for the family photo hidden within this picture). Las Vegas - Old School A week ago I joined the "kids" for a walk down memory lane.  I helped them clean out their father's house in Las Vegas, following his recent death, and we found so much history and memorabilia from the life and times of their father, grandfather and great-grandfather, as well as other grandparents and relatives.  One of the bonuses to cleaning out houses of people who don't throw anything away, is finding treasures and riches beyond measure.  A true inheritance. Discovering their history - while wearing Grandma's pearls. Snapshot Grandpa took, we assume, during a WWII USO tour. Ah...Bing. It turned out to be a souvenir edition, but still fascinating. We don't know which family member this is...but what a great photo! In a prior life I did live, and teach, in L...