Veteran's Day Parade

Waiting for the parade to begin.

The riderless horse led the way.

Traffic jam, like a throwback in time as the old cars lined up.

A small section of the Army brass band played

while a C-130 gave us a flyover.

The pride of Ripley High School: the marching band. They looked and sounded great as they played America the Beautiful for us.

The flag corps get it done!

Who is that driving the vintage fire truck?

Why it's Jack, our mailman!

It was a cold, blustery day, but the good humor of the people waiting to see the parade and honor the vets warmed us all. So did the free coffee being given out by some business owners on the street.

Small town, small parade, but big spirit and big hearts.

A poppy for the many, many veterans in my family. Photos of a few of them:

Dominick Connelly, my father's great-grandfather, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War.

My mother's Uncle Sidney Wilson, a British soldier who was killed in 1917 in World War I, before she was born.

My grandfather, William I. Connelly Sr, who served as a lawyer for the Coast Guard during World War II.

My father, William I. Connelly Jr, who served in the Army Air Force in England during World War II (and also in Europe when the war was over).

For my husband Larry, a Vietnam War veteran;

my son Jonathan Ford

and his wife Jennifer, who both served 10 years in the US Army;

My son Aaron Ford who served 4 years in the US Air Force;

My son Larry Thomas Holstein who served in the US Air Force;

and my son Derek Ford, still in service as a Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard.

To all our soldiers, my profound gratitude and respect.

Wordless Wednesday: To My Vet

(Cheating a little--it's not quite wordless)

Larry at 18, before he shipped out for Vietnam.

Like this flag, he's older and a little worn, but still hanging in there.


Here's to you, my old Marine.

Father and Son Salute

A young veteran watches the veteran's day parade in downtown Charleston with his young son. I was struck by the solitude of the soldier in the crowd.

Vets on My Mind

On the radio this morning a story about the very young widows of Iraq war soldiers. If you have time, you must listen to this. I often wonder about the families of the soldiers lost in the war, especially the younger wives and children. Courage is the one word that describes these women, especially Taryn Davis, who went out looking for others like herself--at 21, she lost her husband, and realized she didn't know how to find other young women in the same position. She found 5 others and started the American Widow Project.

My husband is going through skin cancer treatments right now. He believes it started when he was in Vietnam. The doctor says could be, but it's not listed as a service-connected problem, like Agent Orange. In his life, the time he spent in the Marine Corps serves as his watershed years, the place where he divides his life into "before" and "after." I believe the same is true for thousands of other vets.

The Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner is being decommissioned today, to be a tourist attraction in Dubai. My mother sailed to America on the first Queen Elizabeth as a British war bride, and my English granny often came to visit us via the Queen Mary. The old ships had a place in my life, although I never saw them. Hearing that the QEII is being retired reminded me of the family stories of the older vessels, and of my mother's stories about her journey to America to begin a life in a place she knew only one person--her soldier husband, my Dad.

My soldier sons are all home now, and only one remains in the military. I send a salute to all mothers who must see their sons off to service with pride and fear fighting for ascendancy in their hearts. Being the mother of a soldier is not easy; watching them leave for war is terrifying; welcoming them home cannot be described; knowing what they think and feel about their time in service is difficult. But being proud of them? That goes without saying.

If you want to do something to say thank you to a veteran, or to help a vet's family while he or she is serving overseas, check out my article on Two Lane Livin' newspaper website.