I Was Blessed Today

I went to work today and there was an assembly to honor veterans.

I had the next two hours free so I entered the school gym to attend this event.



Being a veteran I am just a little patriotic so I love these kinds of things.


Seated at the front with the school choir were men (I assumed to be veterans) and their children who attended our school. I call it our school because I've been subbing there for about eight weeks now.

I found a seat in the back with the parents. After the posting of the colors and a very sweet rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (I almost cried) by all of us (the school choir helped tremendously) we were seated and the principal began his greetings.

He asked if there were any veterans in the audience. I jumped to my feet thinking there would be several others. Nope...just me. The principal said, "Mrs. Johnson, come on up here." So I joyously walked to the front thinking he was going to ask me a few quick questions and I'd be back in my seat soon. Nope again...he said," "Can someone bring a chair up here for Mrs. Johnson?" I was thrilled and embarrassed at the same time. I had no idea this would happen.

No one knew I had been in the Navy so there were a lot of surprised and smiling faces. The principal was quite surprised. Who would have thought that a few years in the Navy, almost twenty years ago, would have me being honored with others who have served our country in an elementary school today?

I appreciated it so much and I felt so honored even though I served in peace time. Some of the other veterans served during wars and gave our country many years. One soldier was still serving and has two sweet little girls at our school. He plans to retire soon.

The principal had each of us share what service we were in and how long and where we served. Some shared more which was nice. The kids seemed to be very interested. We were each given a handmade card by some of the students and a red rose with the American Flag attached. It was so nice.

The school choir sang two more songs and one Army veteran, currently Boy Scout leader, gave a fun speech full of audience participation. It was a pleasant and much appreciated assembly.

One Army veteran was a Filipino who came to the U.S. to get an education. He joined the army so he could go to college on the GI Bill. He loves his country, the USA, and served for many years. He shook my hand as did others as they thanked me for my service.

I have mentioned in earlier posts that I spent three years in the Philippines and I became a Christian and was baptized there. The Philippines and the people there have a place in my heart forever.

At the recesses throughout the day several students came to me and asked me about my military service. Some thanked me and others were just plain surprised. Teachers and office workers thanked me and shared their stories of being dependents of someone in the military or working on a base. It was quite a day for me at Rainier View Elementary School.

I love America and all that it has stood for over the years. I pray that our country will maintain it's freedom and liberty for all.

HAPPY VETERANS' DAY !!




ANCHOR'S AWAY!!

Proud To Be An American!!

I've been thinking about Independence Day and our country and how there are so many people willing to join the military to protect and defend our country. Then I started thinking about how I felt when I came back to the United States after being in the Philippines for almost three years.

I was comimg back to be in my friend's wedding. I know I was emotional because of my impending divorce and I was very tired from the long trek just to get to LA via the military stand by flights and airports I'd been in for thirty hours, but I truly was elated to be on U.S soil.

I remember I was taking a shuttle bus from the military airport to the civilian airport. I had had enough waiting and sleepless nights. I was listening to a tape in my walkman (yes, I said tape and walkman. Oh how technology has come a long way.)

I was listening to some Christian music. I was looking out the window and I just started to cry. I couldn't stop. It was unusual for me to cry on a bus, but as you read, my situation had my emotions quite frazzled by that point.

I missed the U.S. sooooo much. I loved the U.S.
I had never loved the U.S. before.
This was a good feeling. I actually wanted to kiss the ground
when I got off the bus. I chickened out and just walked proudly on it instead.

I was only out of the U.S. for three years & I had been home once about two years earlier. It was different this time. I was a Christian now and I cared. I missed my family and friends more. I think I can say I had grown up some in the previous 18 months.

I think that missionaries must feel this way. They love the countries they serve in, but they love home too. We are proud to be Americans and I welcome anyone who truly wants to be an American by way of proper immigration.

I don't think you have to leave the country to appreciate it, but for some of us it helps to give us perspective. I admire people who didn't have to leave America to find out they love America.

Pray for the military and their families and think of how much they love America and want to come home. Fly the flag proudly on Independence Day and stick up for your country and what it stands for. Enjoy some fireworks and a picnic too while you're at it!!

In the Navy

I was in the Navy for six years and I think I have a few stories. I'll start with Boot Camp. I was 26 years old in 1984 when I joined the Navy. I hadn't finished my BA degree and I was so tired of quitting boring jobs.

I decided I needed a job I couldn't quit. Why the Navy, of course. I knew it wouldn't be so easy to quit the Navy. So I joined.

I got to Boot Camp and they discovered that I had been in ROTC so I quickly became the Recruit Chief Petty Officer (RCPO). So much for keeping a low profile and getting it over with. Now I was in charge of 79 girls.

I'll save all the details of being "broken" so we could be trained up the way they wanted us to be for another post. I want to tell the story of the day I almost lost my job as RCPO.

One night about the third or fourth week I was the last one at the sinks brushing my teeth and the watchstander came to me from the laundry area near the restrooms. She said, "Come and see this."

I followed her to the laundry area and she pointed at a window in the door. I looked through the window and to my huge surprise there were three guys in there with three or four of my girls. They were sitting on the washers and dryers just chatting like nothing was wrong.

The guys were actually crouched down, but I could see them. As you can guess, they were not supposed to be in the female barracks. They had snuck out in their dark watch caps and crept through the night to our barracks. My girls willingly opened the door. Big no, no there.

I almost had a heart attack. This would be my call. I quickly decided that no one could know about this. I yelled at them to get out and yelled at the girls to get to bed.

I told the watchstander not to record anything in the watchbook. We were going to stick together and no one was going to get in trouble so we could all finish Boot Camp together.

I was so wrong. The watchstander must record everything out of the ordinary that occurs. She, being a good sailorette, recorded it, unbeknownst to me. She argued that we needed to tell someone in charge (we stayed alone in the barracks at night, but there was a duty officer on the quarterdeck downstairs all night), but I would not agree to it.

I wanted us to stay together and I would stick up for my girls no matter what. After all we had been lectured about that earlier that week. We were a team. A Company.
K074! That was us and we were graduating together no matter what.

Next morning at breakfast the word got out. Several girls knew and were afraid we would get caught. They feared that we would be punished and be "set back". Set back is being moved backward to another company and doing the same week over that you just finished and graduating with the new company.

I agreed to tell the Company Commanders after breakfast. They hadn't read the watchbook yet and hadn't heard a thing about it. I was so scared, but I told them.

This began the longest day of Boot Camp for me. They called all involved parties into the office (except the guys of course). They slammed the door so hard the ceiling tiles raised up several inches and clumps of dust were falling down on us as we stood at attention, sweating bee bees.

I had no idea we'd get in so much trouble. We all had to go before the man (I have forgotten his title...it's been a long time). We stood at attention for long periods of time on the "Division Sidewalk" and then in the hall. They sent me off to sweep a stairwell for awhile and then we all met again in a hall for the final judgement.

The girls who let the guys in, all got set back a week. Myself and the good sailorette who stood watch that night got a "mark" on our record (red writing describing what happened and how we were punished). We got a slap on the hand and went back with our company that day.

Consequences for me were minimal, but sad. I couldn't be given the "Honor Grad" award that I had earned (I had no idea) and back at the barracks in front of everyone in my company, I had to stick my head into a 50 gallon, metal garbage can and scream at the top of my lungs something about how dumb I had been several times.

Footnote: I met the RCPO of the company the guys were from the day before we graduated at a meeting. I asked if anyone got in trouble for what they did and he said "no". I was so mad. Guys just know how to keep a secret better than girls.

Ever heard the saying "Loose lips sink ships"? Well now ya know what that means.

It's pretty funny now, but it sure wasn't then. I did very well in Boot Camp and finished on time. My parents were able to fly out to Orlando for my graduation.
Those were good times and hard times, but I knew I could do anything for eight weeks.