I’m very proud to say that I was a soldier in our United States Army from 1995-1999 and served in Germany and Sarajevo, Bosnia. Today is a day to remember all who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. I was remembering my two grandfathers (both had been married to my mom’s mother who was married three times, the last two being veterans of wars) when I realized that I have three grandfathers who served our nation! My grandma’s second husband served in Korea and Vietnam and sadly died of cancer caused by Agent Orange. He adopted my uncle when he was stationed in Korea. I’ve written about my uncle before, who doesn’t even consider the fact he’s adopted. He doesn’t even really know his own back-story of how he came to be adopted and absolutely no idea who his birth mother or birth father was nor does he care. My grandma’s third husband was in WWII and survived the Normandy Beach invasion. I had no idea of any of that until I had joined the Army and he told me that one day we’d talk more about it. Unfortunately, that day never came because he passed away while I was serving in Bosnia. To this day, I very much regret not having that chat with him. I’m sure his memories were too painful to talk about and that is why I had never known he was even in the military. I think he was really proud of me and that is why he wanted to share it with me. I miss him. My birth grandfather was in the Army as an engineer and even met Eisenhower! I consider all of these men part of my heritage and something I am very proud of. My father-in-law also served in the Army in the Vietnam war. My husband told me when we first started dating but said that his dad never talked about that time in his life. However, his dad talks to me about his experiences. I think he is happy to talk to me about it because he knows I can relate on some level to what it was like to be in the military. When I decided to join the Army, the only one in my family that thought it was a good idea, was my mom. Obviously she respected the military and knew it was my only way out of the hole I had dug myself into after dropping out of college. My time in the Army changed my life in every way possible. I only joined so that I could get money to go back to college with and get out of Arkansas but when I look back, I realize that the Army became another family that help mold me into who I am today. I give most credit to my birth family and adoptive family but the Army was a huge part of that, too. In the military, you don’t have your family there to help you so you learn to depend on your fellow soldiers. We all depend on each other! When I was deployed to Sarajevo, we were truly exiled from our families and civilization. We worked 6 days a week and 12 hours a day so we knew each other inside and out and we took care of each other. When I got the news of my grandpa’s passing, they bought me a card with heartfelt messages and made sure I was ok. When I went into Sarajevo to get my first tattoo, our deputy commander went with me to make sure I was doing things safely, and when it was time for me to leave, they held me down and sprayed whipped cream all over my face because that meant they cared. I cried harder when I left Sarajevo than when I left for my family for the Army. These people meant a lot to me and I will never forget them! I met my best friend in Germany. She took me in when I first got there so I wouldn’t feel lonely. Adoptees need to be an Army. Being a soldier in unknown lands with no control are not unlike adoptees. All adoptees need to band together and take care of each other, and protect each other. We’re all here for one another. If you have no comfort in anything else in your life, take comfort in that. I am here for you, just like I was there for my country. Happy Memorial Day!