Saluting

I spent part of my formative years on various Naval bases, since my dad was in the Navy. He had a job in the civilian world, but he did drills one weekend a month as part of the Navy Reserves (or at least, I THINK that's how it worked. All I really know is that my sister and I spent a lot of time in Bachelor Officer's Quarters making friendship bracelets on our clipboards, and we got to shop tax-free in the PX.)

Through the years I've been fortunate enough to meet and get to know several of his closest friends, friends he made on nuclear subs in the '70s when he was out there in Whatever Ocean at Whatever Depth ("That's classified, Katherine"), friends who would die for one another, with one another.


I didn't have a single thing better to do today than celebrate our troops and our veterans, and yet I found many other things to spend my time on. But I couldn't let the evening pass without giving a Shout Out to my dad, his Navy buddies, and all the men and women who are out there tonight protecting and serving.

I salute you all!