It's Memorial Day. Have you thanked a veteran yet? I hope so. No matter how much I pray that the world finds better crisis management than war, there are still things worth fighting for, and the men and women who have fought to defend the basic freedoms we enjoy should be thanked.
My family has a long history of service in the armed forces, beginning with the Revolutionary War. I begin my appreciation with them:
My great-great-great grandfather, James Henry Brown, who fought for the Union during the Civil War and died in the Battle of Franklin in Tennessee.
My grandfather, Earl Brookshier, who served aboard an LST in the South Pacific during World War II. One of the campaigns he fought in was the Battle of Okinawa. The little girl who has herself plastered against his side is my mother.
My father, Charles Cole, who was a member of the first commissioned crew aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal. I don't think you need to be told the identity of the small person in his lap!
My cousin, Stan Brookshier, who was a Marine in Vietnam.
My husband, Denis Barlow, who served in the Royal Navy--mostly aboard nuclear submarines.
There are many more family members who have served. I just don't have their photos on my hard drive. I want to thank all of them as well as all other veterans who have gone in harm's way to preserve the freedoms I enjoy today. If not for them, the world would be a very different place.
