Veteran's Day 2015 - Shout Out to All Vets!

AN is truly a place for all nurses. As we approach Veterans Day, tell us your story....If you are veteran let us thank you....if you know a vet...please thank them. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

Veteran's Day 2015 - Shout Out to All Vets!

I'm a veteran...and I'm very proud of my military service.

I grew up in the 60's, 70's, seeing Vietnam brought into my living room on the nightly news. It was scary for me as a child. However, the pictures showed so many young men getting hurt or killed in service to their country. We were the first generation of people who grew up with these images televised into our own living rooms. They were my heroes.

My Father served in WWII in the USN aboard the USS Vega in the south Pacific. His draft number had come up and he felt the USN would be a better fit for him so he enlisted. He came home from the war after being discharged due to "shell shock" which was a precursor to PTSD. He never ever talked about his service, but my Mom told me that he would wake up in the middle of the night sweating and screaming often. He died in 2002 and took his memories with him. He was my hero.

My Mother also served in WWII as a WAC in the USA. At that time, women were relegated to the roles of clerk, supply inventory and nurse. My Mom served at the Embarcadero in San Francisco. She was a clerk typist. For a young girl from rural MO, this was an adventure. In later years she often told me that had she stayed in the Army she would have been sent overseas to do typing after the war ended. She died in 1986 and was buried with full military rites. She was my hero.

I grew up with my parents as examples of selfless giving thru their military service. As I grew older, I realized that I wanted to serve too so in high school I decided to become a nurse. I applied and was accepted. After high school, I moved into the nursing dorm and settled into a routine. However, I was still restless and approximately a year later decided that nursing wasn't for me. So...I quit going to classes, went to the recruiter station, talked to several recruiters and signed on the dotted line. Now, I have to tell you that I chose the USN over the USAF because I liked their uniforms which I realize is an incredibly shallow reason and I'm a little ashamed to admit this. I went to basic training in Orlando, FL and wow was that cool. A trip to Disney was on the agenda as we neared graduation and then I got orders to Indianapolis for journalism and broadcasting school. Off I went. Now I am from IL and going to Indianapolis was not exactly my dream assignment. However, I liked the school and the education and learned a lot.

While in Indy, I met this really super cute USAF guy and we became friends. I got orders to Japan and off I went. When I was in Japan six months, my USAF friend got stationed there too. How neat! We picked up where we left off and soon became a couple. And...eventually we got married!

This was in 1980 when dual-service couples were still a rarity. When we told our boss that we got married, they just laughed at us and said they hoped that we enjoyed being apart as they didn't expect us to be stationed together ever again. LOL little did they know.

My husband served over 23 years in the USAF and I served 3 years in the USN.

We are NOT heroes but we ARE very proud veterans.

As November 11, 2015 rolls around, don't forget to thank our veterans. So many are REAL HEROES.

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traumaRUs

About traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Gulf War Vet, I served 3 years in Navy Nurse Corps. Attended OIS (Officer Indoctrination School) we were called "Oisters" in Newport, Rhode Island. I learned to swim compliments of the navy in less then 4 weeks! :) I remember the USS Buttercup, a mockup of a ship in a swimming pool that is used for disaster training. I was stationed at Bethesda-National Naval Medical Center. During the Persian Gulf War, I was deployed on the USNS Comfort (T-AH-20). I spent 6 1/2 months on the ship. FYI-The Navy has 2 hospital ships, The Mercy is based out of San Diego/Balboa; each capable of holding 1,000 patients. The Comfort is now based out of Norfolk. It was an amazing experience on the hospital ship. I have memories of carrying a gas mask & having injector pens of atropine & pyridostigmine strapped on my right thigh. Mass Casualty drills weekly, learning to make moulage out of what ever was available. I suddenly acquired 7 roommates. As junior officers, we were assigned 8 to a room with 4 bunk beds! Enlisted sleep in triple-bunk beds. I had an older brother, Marine helicopter pilot, flew Chinooks CH 47 but he was killed in a crash in Okinawa the year after I finished my LPN. So on joining the Navy I did not tell my parents until I was commissioned. Here is a link to the USNS Comfort.

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I would like to give thanks to all veterans. My father was in the Marines and he served in Vietnam. Many of my uncles and even one of my aunts have served in the armed forces. I work for hospice and one of the reasons I love my job is because of the honor guard services that they have for the veterans. I am very thankful for each and every veteran that has served our country. All of you desreve so much more than could ever be given back. I know it is early but Happy Veterans Day!

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Desert Storm vet here but from the UK not US. As we get closer to the 11th Nov I remember more and more the ones that died before us and how the survivors are slowly passing as they age with life.

Will never forget...

Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

Thank you for your service! Great article!

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Not a Vet, but my dad served three tours in Vietnam. Sadly he didn't return from the last one.

I was too young to remember him, but he's with me in spirit.

One day I'm going to the Wall and make my peace.

I do want to say, that if you have a picture of a fallen Vietnam vet, please pm me. The Wall is building a museum and they are seeking pictures of the vets. The goal is to get a name with a face.

We would appreciate any help.

I am retired AF Reserve. I commissioned in 1988 to be a Flight Nurse in California, went to Flight School n Texas, met my now ex husband, got married, moved to Spokane.

Transferred to the 40th AES at McChord AFB in Tacoma. Had a baby, in 1990. Desert Storm happened, got activated, left an 8 month old daughter with my husband, and one of his sisters, who flew in from Buffalo, to help him take care of my daughter while I was gone.

There are no words to describe what it was like to hand over your baby to your husband, and go off to war. Our First Sergeant peeled my daughter out of my hands, and handed her over to him.

Got to see a little of Europe while I was there. Got to, "combat shop", all over Europe while I was there. Would not trade the experience for anything.

I survived. We survived. Had baby number 2 after I got back. Just retired from the AFR after 25 years of service.

My dad fought under Patton in WWII. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge under Patton. He was in the infantry. They slept under the Half Track tanks at night. My dad did not like sleeping with his boots on, and would take them off at night. His buddies warned him not to take them off, in case they came under attack at night. He was 19, knew every thing, thought that he was bullet proof, and ignored them.

Well one night, they got attacked. All of the soldiers ran out from under the half track to return fire. As everyone slid out from under the tank, my dad's boots got knocked out from under the tank. He had the common sense, not to stick his head out from under the tank to find his boots, and just side his hand out from under the tank, to feel around to where his boots were. He said that he could feel the bullets hitting the ground, by his fingers, spraying dirt all over the place and all over his hands. They were so hot, they burned his fingers. He said that one bullet fell so close to his hands that he felt the heat of the bullet as it flew past his hand and hit the ground.

He survived, or I would not be here to write this.

He died in 2000. I wish that the government had built the WWII Memorial in Washington DC a few years earlier. I would have loved to take him there to see it.

I did some traveling during Desert Storm, as I was stationed in Germany. Went to the American Cemetery in Luxembourg, and saw Patton's Grave. I took a picture of it, and sent it to my dad.

When the movie,"Patton", came out, my dad had not taken my mom to the movies in YEARS!! When the movie came out, he was the first in line, at the Kings Highway Theater in Brooklyn to see it!!

I got him a copy of the movie, when it came out in tape.

What can I say? I enjoyed my time in the military. Was looking forward to being deployed to Iraq if they needed me. Signed up, but was constantly on profile because of my bad knees, and needing foot surgery.

Would do it again in a NY minute.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN(ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

Specializes in Med-Surge; Forensic Nurse.

I am a proud veteran of the greatest country on earth-the USA! I served in both the US Army and US Air Force Reserves, and I actually served in the first Gulf War, under the great, "Stormin Norman," Schwarzkopf. Initially, when I enlisted, I thought I had done the wrong thing, but, over the years, I STILL draw on the many lessons of discipline, integrity, execution, reliability, timeliness, and overall 'stick-to-it-ness,' I learned in the military. When I see veterans, cops, or other first responders who willingly put themselves in harm's way, I say, "Thank you," and I teach my kids to do the same. I am honored to have served and I am blessed to be a citizen of the, "Land of the free, and home of the brave."

May God continue to bless America, "My home, sweet, home!"

I have not served in the military as so many of the brave previous posters have, but I thank each and every one of you for your sacrifice to the citizens of this great country, so we can sleep safely and peacefully at night knowing we are protected by the greatest military in the world! My father was a WWII vet. He's gone now, and I wish I'd listened more closely to his stories when I was a young child. I married my high school sweetheart, a Navy man who served in the late 70s and early 80s. We have three sons, two of whom have become Sailors as well. My oldest boy was on the USS Cole when it was bombed in the Gulf of Aden, Yeman on Oct 12, 2000. Seventeen of his young shipmates died that day. Will was 20 and had a wife and young daughter at home. He survived, and was one of the few left behind to recover the bodies of the dead. The heat was over 120 degrees, and it took nearly two weeks to find all the victims. Will told me that when he found his best friend Marc's body he reached down to touch his face, "...and, Mom, my hand went right through his face. It was like gelatin." And so, you who have served this country are never out of my thoughts. I can only imagine the sacrifices each of you have made to protect your countryman, who sometimes do not even appreciate your service. I want to say "Thank you!" and "God bless each of you!" with all my heart and soul. You make this country great! You are the embodiment of Honor! I am eternally grateful for your service! billswife(and Will's mom).

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Thanks everyone for sharing your memories. And thanks to everyone for your service. Families of military members serve too - even though they don't wear a uniform - thank YOU also.

Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

Not a vet, but my dad was a part of the force who landed at Utah Beach in WWII. He was one of the fortunate who survived D-Day, and also the Battle of the Bulge. I had the privilege of visiting Normandy last year and went to the beaches to pay my respects to all who fought there. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life.

Thanks to all who have served and continue to serve to protect our freedom.

Specializes in ICU.

Currently a nurse serving active duty in the US Army. Shout out to all my brothers and sisters in arms.