A Soldier’s Daughter

by Debbie Phillips
June 25, 2003

I read recently that patriotism is learned behavior. If that is true then I learned from my dad that America is beautiful. He joined the Navy at the end of World War II and served as Yeoman 3rd Class on the aircraft carrier USS Rendova.

He had an anchor tattoo on the inside of his right forearm as a reminder of his Navy years. I badgered him until he told me the story of a night on the town with buddies and liquid courage as a requirement for all them to make the decision to get tattooed. He was proud of his service and his country.

We lived along Highway 51 that crosses western Kansas. On a snowy Thanksgiving, a young serviceman was trying to hitchhike home. My dad walked out to the road and invited him to have dinner with us. He was traveling from his base in New Mexico to his hometown. Daddy and the sheriff, who lived next door, took him to the truck stop after dinner and found a truck driver going his way to get him home. One soldier takes care of another.

When the war with Iraq started, I was glued to the coverage and touched by the how young the soldiers were. Just like my dad. They are always young. They were prepared. Some were going to die. I was not for the war, but I am all for the soldiers.

Soldiers take care of soldiers. Recovering the POWs and the dead is part of the promise that no one will be left behind. All the news coverage of Iraq put me right there. I have abundant respect for our armed forces. I proudly wave the red, white and blue.

I think of all the families making sacrifices, while their spouses, sons, daughters or grandparents serve overseas. There is a different story for every person, and that makes me appreciate what is being done to protect my world.

I learned my patriotism from my dad. God bless America.
Debbie Phillips, 51, grew up in Kansas and has lived in Jackson for 30 years.

 
posted by on 07/06/03 at 11:01 AM. [printer-friendly version]   

posted by Barbara J Rodenbeck on 06/30/03 at 12:15 PM