November is a month in which to be thankful for many things we take for granted. Wonderful mothers and grandmothers, who make the best Thanksgiving dinners ever, come to mind. Loving family members who enjoy spending time together any time of year, including on Thanksgiving Day, are a blessing.
But November is not just about turkeys and dressing. OK, this November falls in an election year, so perhaps it is about some dressed-up turkeys, but I digress.
We associate November with family, food, shopping, and the start of the winter season’s festivities. But I’m always reminded of why we, as citizens of this country, are able to celebrate the various holiday traditions, both secular and sacred, so freely. It’s because of the first holiday this month, which lands on Nov. 11, and is a day to remember our nation’s veterans.
Veterans Day came about following WWI. Although the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June of 1919, an armistice had ended all combat seven months earlier, bringing a cease to “the war to end all wars.” President Woodrow Wilson later proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, a day to “be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service.”
We not only commemorate those who gave their lives, but those who continue to do so. The numerous men and women who enlist in our armed services do so knowing that they may be asked to put themselves in harm’s way at any given moment. They know they may not come back to their families, and those who do are often changed by their experiences.
However, they are not the only ones who make such sacrifices. Their families—parents, siblings, spouses, and children—also pay a price. They suffer separation, fear for their loved ones, stress, loneliness, and often financial hardship as they anxiously wait for their beloved soldiers to come home.
Mine is a military family. My father fought in the Korean War, and the recollections he was willing to share about the battle at Inchon were horrific and devastating. He was never the same man after that, but was lucky to have made it home. He had contracted malaria and lay insensible in an Army M.A.S.H. unit. A North Korean battalion was headed their way and they were ordered to leave immediately (“bug out”), but Dad was too ill to be moved.
A nurse stayed behind and cared for him, never leaving his side, in spite of the danger of capture by enemy forces. Somehow the battalion missed them, taking another direction, and she saved Dad’s life. For years he tried to find out who she was to thank her, but he never did. It’s people like this remarkable nurse who also must be remembered and celebrated.
Other members of my family who have served include my brother-in-law Timothy—who went on multiple operations with the National Guard Army Intelligence, and Mom’s late husband, Joe, who served aboard the USS Bunker Hill when it was hit by two Japanese planes in 1945, a story I shared here upon his passing three years ago.
My uncles Pete and Carroll were Navy men, as was my cousin Danny. They were all just kids when they enlisted and served. Sadly, we lost Danny during the Vietnam War in 1969 when his ship, the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans, struck another ship and was sheared in half. Her bow quickly sank taking 74 crewmembers with it.
We nearly lost my nephew David when a terrorist truck bomb detonated next to the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, decimating the building where he and other members of the U.S. Air Force’s 4404th Wing (Provisional) were housed. David said he was leaning next to a window talking with some mates. He had just stepped away to grab his soda when the room imploded. The result can be seen on Wikipedia. It still shocks me.
David helped several soldiers to safety until he was stopped by a medic who noticed he was bleeding from a head wound. David was just 21. Thankfully he made it home; 19 members of his squadron did not.
My brother Michael served 20 years in the U.S. Navy as an advanced avionics technician and lead helicopter systems mechanic aboard several naval vessels including the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. His military operations included being mobilized to shadow a Russian submarine that was patrolling off of the Pacific Coast, sitting at the ready for three years in the Persian Gulf during the Carter presidency and Iran hostage crisis in what Mikey called “the Ayatollah’s swimming hole,” and refereeing China’s war games meant to intimidate Taiwan.
Each day of each year I watched as Mom fretted and prayed for his safety. Every two weeks she sent him care packages filled with cocoa, peanut butter, granola bars, candy, gum, and personal items. Her husband once remarked, “You’re going to sink that damned ship!”
It’s because of the sacrifices made by my family, those deployed and those at home waiting for them, that I never miss an opportunity to shake a veteran’s hand and thank them or buy them a cup of coffee or a soda. It’s such a small thing to give in return.
The apostle Luke wrote, “Of those who are given much, much is expected.” One person who exemplifies this is attorney Michael B. Clayton. Every Veterans Day he hosts a free barbecue lunch of tri-tip, chicken, and all the fixings for local veterans, active military, and their families. He pays the cost himself and invites everyone in the community to come. A donation of just $5 is asked for anyone who is non-military, and every dime is donated to a local veterans’ organization.
The 16th annual Free Barbecue for Veterans and Military Families is on Friday, Nov. 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Veterans’ Memorial Building, 313 W. Tunnell St. in Santa Maria.
Where else can you dine with real heroes? For more information or to volunteer or donate, call Clayton’s office at 928-5353 or email him at mbclayton@wedefend.net.
Ariel Waterman loves barbecues and heroes. Send her sauce recipes and colorful capes via Arts Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 10-17, 2016.