Favorite # 67: Veterans

Bob Terry in his Navy Days

                 Honor and Respect

In honor of Veterans Day, my desire is to highlight in this blog the respect due those who have served in the military protecting the freedoms of our country. My dad, a WWII Veteran, served in Germany and landed on the beaches of Normandy, so I know first hand the sacrifices that are made by those who serve. As a young girl growing up, I learned through his example to appreciate freedom and have the highest respect for those who protect it.

Recently, I talked with a friend of mine (Bob Terry) about his twenty years in the Navy. Thinking back to those early years, Bob said three years into his Navy career he began a tour on a guided missile destroyer. Not liking ships, when the opportunity came to work in Explosive Ordnance Disposal, he signed up for that position. Having the duty to render safe all conventional, nuclear and chemical weapons on land, air and sea, he trained as a diver and parachutist. Even though this position has similarities to that of a Navy seal, they are not the same.

One of Bob’s more interesting tours happened during Desert Storm. Serving six months with the State Department, he had duties that included anti-terrorist detail, safeguarding embassies in places like Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. When asked what he liked most about living in the Middle East, without hesitation, he answered, “The food.” What bothered him the most was the poverty. Heartbreaking to see, it made him appreciate even more the freedoms and blessings of life in America.

Planning to retire from the military after 20 years, it was during his tour in the Middle East that Bob began to seriously think about another career. After graduation from high school, he entered Ole Miss on an ROTC scholarship. Studying criminology, he thought he might be a lawyer, but twenty years later, with his travels, experience and love of kids, his desire was to make a difference as a teacher. So, going back to school, mostly at night, he earned his masters degree.

Although Bob traveled the world and could have chosen anywhere to live, his travels eventually led him to a fifth grade classroom in Cleveland, NC. About to retire after twenty years in the classroom, he credits his years in the Navy as helping him prepare to be a teacher.

A person who serves in the military doesn’t necessarily stop serving just because they take off their uniform. Like Bob, wanting to make a difference, they often take a job in a service-oriented field such as a teacher, fireman or policeman. It’s unfortunate many come home unable to work or like my dad unable to fulfill lifelong dreams because of injuries incurred while in service. To them, and to all Veterans everywhere we say thank you because you are living proof that freedom isn’t free.

To learn more about Bob Terry and his experiences in the Navy, check out the Salisbury Post link here.

Do you have a story to share about a Veteran you know? Leave a comment, message on Facebook, or email dicysm@yahoo.com.

Thanks,

Dicy

www.dicymcculloughbooks.com

www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog