My Gratitude ... Thank You Seems So Small ...

I love God and my country and I am in awe of and am eternally grateful for all the troops throughout time who have fought for and allowed this country to begin and continue to stand strong. There is no repayment for their service to this country, to me, for the sacrifices they have made that is great enough for what they have done and what they still do to this day. Thank you very much with great honor to the troops and the families of the ones who gave their life for this country.

This is me standing next to the American flag amidst the post 911 NYC machinery. The closest I have ever gotten to the battle, I was safe and humbled as troops were running to meet the enemy. Thank you.

I am sure I had ancestors in the wars and battles prior to WWII.  My father and uncles served in WWII before I was born.  My first memory of war was watching as a teenager as friends got their draft letters and left our hometown to serve in Vietnam and watching them come back, some of them, forever changed.  And I remember waiting in fear to see my fiance's draft number.  He was never called, his best friend was and his wife, my best friend went through this very proudly.  He served in Germany, she was able to stay with him there and ultimately all came home safely. 

I remember watching those first scenes of bombs bursting in air and on ground, on CNN, in fear and awe at the beginning the Gulf War. 

And I was less than an hour away on that fateful day on 911.  Having flown the day before, it was so close to my emotions, I just wanted to go home and be with my family not knowing what was to come next, but I couldn't fly home.  This is nothing, absolutely nothing compared to what our troops go through as they wait, plan for or head in to battle. 

I cannot in any form expect my gratitude to hit the mark of being enough but it is my gratitude none the less.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and my heart and prayers are with you.