America's Newest Air Force Trainee

Posted by Roger Saunders Aug 25, 2008

Off She Goes Into the Wild Blue Yonder!

Today my daughter goes to the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) to be sworn into the active-duty Air Force and then heads for Basic Training at Lackland AFB.

No one is prouder when their youngster joins America's Armed Forces than those of us who love America's history. The only drawback is that when we truly understand our history we also know, better than most, the sacrifices our great Service Men and Women have made. It is sobering thing to think about all of those who have given their lives or sacrificed their bodies with everything but death to preserve our freedom. With a grave sense of wonder we see our own children follow in that great service which the father of our country called "more than could be reasonably expected" where they will be "worn out with fatigues and hardship" and "will render that service to the cause of liberty and to your country, which you probably can never do under any other circumstance".

I suppose I am partially to blame. I am the one who made her listen to stories about Deborah Sampson, Sybil Ludington, Mary Hayes and her own 6G-Grandmother Phoebe Ward, The Hero of Fort Freeland. She also heard about two 3G-Grandfather's fighting in separate Iowa Regiments in the Civil War. Maybe the “Coup de Gras” was when we found those old papers of her G-Grandfathers. He served as a B29 Crew Chief during World War II. In these papers we found letters signed by Five-Star General Henry "Hap" Arnold, thanking him for his service to the Army Air Corp in bringing down the power of the German Luftwaffe.

I know she will make us all as proud as we are of everyone who has given a portion of their lives to preserve America's liberty ... but ... this is my little girl!