Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada, Veteran's Day in the US. It is the day that we are to stop and remember the men and woman who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. It is also the day that we remember those who serve our countries knowing the sacrifices that they give and that they may have to give.

I come from a long line of people who have given to and for our country. My great-grandmother knitted socks for the soldiers in the trenches during World War I. She received a certificate for her work and I remember being in awe of this certificate as a child.

My grandmother had 3 uncles who served during World War II. We were very blessed with the fact that they all returned home safetly (including one with wife in tow). One of my great-great-uncles survived the beaches of Normandy. He lay on the beach wounded until the battle had been won.

My grandfather joined the military as soon as he was old enough. His first stint was in Korea during the war. The only thing he would talk about during the war was two things: ( 1) his first job was to take the wounded soldiers from the front lines away from the battle fields and (2) the group of soldiers that would **** you if your boots weren't tied the right way. He said he learned quickly to tie up his boots. I don't know if the last one was a tale to scare a little girl from asking the tough questions or reality. After the war, my grandfather was released, but a few years later rejoined and was posted to Germany during the early Cold War years. He returned to Canada where he met my grandmother. They were married for 33 years before he died.

My sister at a young age felt the call to serve. At 17 she joined the Canadian Reserves. First as an infantry personnel and then later training as a cook. At 23, she joined the Canadian Forces as cook and was posted on a Naval Ship which served in the Persian Gulf shortly after 2001. She is now on a land posting and has come very close to going to Afghanistan 2 times. She longs to be able to serve her country and to use the training that she has.

My step-father joined the military shortly after marrying my mother. He was a stoker on a naval vessel for 11 years. He, also, served in the Persian Gulf after 2001. Two years ago he retrained and moved to the Air Force as a Helicopter Technician. On October 30, he left for Afghanistan. We are sadden to see him there and very worried for him. However, we are so proud.