A Note from the Editor

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Olde Delaware

Honos Habet Onus
Deputy Minister
Citizen
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He/Him
Friends,

I have been honored for the last few months to share my hobby with all of Europeia. As you can tell, that hobby is all things military. Whether it be through articles or through pictures and even the documentaries, whether you post or not I see that a number of people have viewed my paper and read my articles and I want to thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.

Some folks have asked me where I learned about the military or how I know this and that. Today, I want to tell you something special and I hope you'll stick around while I get this out. I learned almost everything I know about the military from my dad who served in the Army from 1964-1968 and in the National Guard from 1981-1998 including a tour of duty during Operation Desert Storm. My dad was my hero, he was my everything. We spent more time talking about military stuff when other kids were talking pokemon and power rangers. When other kids were going away to Six Flags or Sesame Place in the summer, we went to Aberdeen Proving Ground, then the home of the U.S. Army's Ordinance Museum. Tanks, guns, rockets, bombs, even Anzio Annie the railway cannon. We went to Fort Delaware, Fort DuPont, Brandywine Battlefield.

These were the good times.

The bad times were when my dad couldn't get off the couch or couldn't get up out of the hospital bed in our living room or had to wear braces. My dad came back from Desert Storm injured as a result of a SCUD missile attack on their position. When you're 4 years old and your dad goes off to war, takes you off his shoulders and kisses you goodbye and gets on that bus and promises to come home safe you never expect to see him carried through the front door of your house as medical people get a hospital bed ready for him to lay in and recover from major surgeries. I went from riding on my dad's shoulders to helping put on a neck brace or back brace or knee brace. He eventually got better but was never ever what anyone would call well.

After being medically retired from the Army, my dad went back to school and got his Associate's Degree and put his time and effort into working with the VFW or Veterans of Foreign Wars. He would serve as Post Commander and District Vice Commander while I was growing up. I remember my first trip with him to our local cemetery on Veterans Day. I didn't know why we were there until my dad took out a box of flags. We walked along the headstones, looking for Veterans stones and placing a flag. We did this all day, despite him being in obvious pain and despite the cold we got it done and when we were done, my dad gripped my shoulder and said to me "This is what it costs to keep us free."

The price of freedom means so much to my family. The reason being because 15 years ago tonight my dad drew his last breath inside of a hospital in Delaware from injuries sustained in battle. He was my hero, my rock, my best friend but most of all he was my dad. Not a day goes by where I don't think about him and the time we spent together and by posting military stuff and discussing it, it almost feels like he is here with me when I do it. I often wonder what he would think of today's military and technology, the stories and the events going on in our world today.

I'm sorry for rambling and if you've stuck with me this far, thank you so much for reading my thoughts. Also, thank you so much for just being a great community and putting up with me. I might not be as learned or as politically minded as a lot of you, but I appreciate the views, the discussion, the camaraderie and the humor more than you'll ever know. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Olde Delaware
Editor, The Military Times
 
Aww, Olde. As Nick said, it is a very heartwarming message. It is sad that just because of enmity between governments, military has to pay the price. While the politicians get to sit back in a safe place
 
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