Honoring My Grandpa
Posted by Robin . on Friday, November 12, 2010
When it comes to patriotic things, love of our country, the military and what they do for us and honoring all of it, I can get a little weepy.
Ok, I get a little weepy at a lot of stuff.
But, really weepy with patriotic remembrance. I'm definitely a proud American and when I think about the amazing sacrifice that our military men and women make when they stand up and say "I will die to save your freedoms", when they make the commitment to leave their families behind just to ensure that the ideals we hold dear are safe, it gives me chills, makes me teary-eyed and thankful beyond words.
So, Veteran's Day and Memorial Day usually mean tears for me at some point in the day. This Veteran's Day meant a lot more tears than normal.
My grandparents and I went to TRex's school for their amazing Veteran's Day ceremony. The entire campus (elementary, junior high and high school) along with parents and other community members attend.
The tears started before the ceremony did.
My grandpa is a Korean War Vet. He's very quiet about his time in the service but, he's very emotional and gets teary eyed when talking about it or, like me, with anything patriotic.
Before the ceremony, all the Veterans that were there were gathered in the cafeteria. I spotted another man with a hat like my grandpa's that said Korea on it and pointed it out to him. He went over to visit and when he came back to my grandma and me, he had tears in his eyes. He told us that the man had been in an Army unit that my grandpa's Navy unit escorted into the area of Korea where he was stationed. It just blew me away that these men had crossed paths like that so many years ago and now here they were, attending their great-grandchildren's school ceremony.
The ceremony itself was wonderful. Our superintendant is absolutely unbelievable and he started things off with a moving speech. Letters were read by elementary school kids and several grades sang a song. The fantastic band played the national anthem and, of course, that got me. Then, TRex's P.E. teacher sang a song. Let me tell ya, this guy can sing! He went to school with 0007's youngest brother and he used to sing the national anthem at the football games and it would make me tear up every single time. The song he sang at the ceremony was An American Soldier by Toby Keith. Okay, that song will make me cry when I hear it in the car! This guy singing it to the veterans, watching those men wipe tears from their face as he sang and then the thunderous standing ovation everyone gave him....not a dry eye in the house!
It was absolutely beautiful. I'm so honored to be a part of this community and have a child that goes to a school like this. I'm continuously amazed by the school and all they do. My grandpa, who will be the first to say that he doesn't generally like anything like this ceremony because of how emotional it makes him, was absolutely floored by how phenomenal it was. He was so happy he had come and so was I. My grandma had tears in her eyes the whole time and seemed to be beaming with pride for her husband. Truly a gorgeous sight.
As we were walking TRex back to class once everything was over, we passed another Veteran who was wearing an Iraqi Freedom hat. He stopped my grandpa, shook his hand and thanked him for his service and for "paving the way for the rest of us". Again, choked up, my grandpa thanked him as well and they hugged.
Seriously, I'm on emotion overload! I could barely get the details out to 0007 on the phone afterward because I was still choked up by the whole thing. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to have my grandpa there. He's so special to me and for him to go to this today because of TRex was something I'll never forget.
I hope that everyone had a Veteran's Day filled with remembrance and reverence for all that our armed forces have done, still do and will do for us. Remember, don't just thank them on Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. Thank them everyday. They don't risk their lives only on certain days of the year. Let's remember them everyday.
Ok, I get a little weepy at a lot of stuff.
But, really weepy with patriotic remembrance. I'm definitely a proud American and when I think about the amazing sacrifice that our military men and women make when they stand up and say "I will die to save your freedoms", when they make the commitment to leave their families behind just to ensure that the ideals we hold dear are safe, it gives me chills, makes me teary-eyed and thankful beyond words.
So, Veteran's Day and Memorial Day usually mean tears for me at some point in the day. This Veteran's Day meant a lot more tears than normal.
My grandparents and I went to TRex's school for their amazing Veteran's Day ceremony. The entire campus (elementary, junior high and high school) along with parents and other community members attend.
The tears started before the ceremony did.
My grandpa is a Korean War Vet. He's very quiet about his time in the service but, he's very emotional and gets teary eyed when talking about it or, like me, with anything patriotic.
Before the ceremony, all the Veterans that were there were gathered in the cafeteria. I spotted another man with a hat like my grandpa's that said Korea on it and pointed it out to him. He went over to visit and when he came back to my grandma and me, he had tears in his eyes. He told us that the man had been in an Army unit that my grandpa's Navy unit escorted into the area of Korea where he was stationed. It just blew me away that these men had crossed paths like that so many years ago and now here they were, attending their great-grandchildren's school ceremony.
The ceremony itself was wonderful. Our superintendant is absolutely unbelievable and he started things off with a moving speech. Letters were read by elementary school kids and several grades sang a song. The fantastic band played the national anthem and, of course, that got me. Then, TRex's P.E. teacher sang a song. Let me tell ya, this guy can sing! He went to school with 0007's youngest brother and he used to sing the national anthem at the football games and it would make me tear up every single time. The song he sang at the ceremony was An American Soldier by Toby Keith. Okay, that song will make me cry when I hear it in the car! This guy singing it to the veterans, watching those men wipe tears from their face as he sang and then the thunderous standing ovation everyone gave him....not a dry eye in the house!
It was absolutely beautiful. I'm so honored to be a part of this community and have a child that goes to a school like this. I'm continuously amazed by the school and all they do. My grandpa, who will be the first to say that he doesn't generally like anything like this ceremony because of how emotional it makes him, was absolutely floored by how phenomenal it was. He was so happy he had come and so was I. My grandma had tears in her eyes the whole time and seemed to be beaming with pride for her husband. Truly a gorgeous sight.
As we were walking TRex back to class once everything was over, we passed another Veteran who was wearing an Iraqi Freedom hat. He stopped my grandpa, shook his hand and thanked him for his service and for "paving the way for the rest of us". Again, choked up, my grandpa thanked him as well and they hugged.
Seriously, I'm on emotion overload! I could barely get the details out to 0007 on the phone afterward because I was still choked up by the whole thing. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to have my grandpa there. He's so special to me and for him to go to this today because of TRex was something I'll never forget.
I hope that everyone had a Veteran's Day filled with remembrance and reverence for all that our armed forces have done, still do and will do for us. Remember, don't just thank them on Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. Thank them everyday. They don't risk their lives only on certain days of the year. Let's remember them everyday.
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