Tuesday, November 11, 2008

USS Intrepid - Joey is 12!

The Intrepid has returned to her home port and reopened on Saturday.
Sunday was Joey's 12th birthday and that was the first thing on his list! The Intrepid was an aircraft carrier that saw service in the Pacific during WW II.

The deck has many different types of aircraft from the previous 50 years from all branches of the service, so we got to walk on deck and take a look at the planes. We've posted a slide show of our visit to the Intrepid on the blog.
Of course, this was the Navy's day, but the military branches (Army, Marine Corps) and Coast Guard were there to help celebrate the re-opening. Not to be outdone, the U.S. Coast Guard had two patrol boats on duty providing security. They also sent a rescue helicopter to hover over the river, then sent a rescue diver in to do a practice rescue while we were standing there.

I kept trying to point out how the USCG were the toughest of the tough -- they have to do maritme security, law enforcement, and shipping navigation, as well as search and rescue. I know there is something appealing about the bravado of the military, but I can't help but hope that if Joey or Brian decide to go in to service, they will think about the Coast Guard.

On Veteran's Day, I am grateful for the sacrifice of men and women who serve in our military. There are tons of little things that are taken away when one decides to serve in the military, more than we know. I guess one of those things is the challenge to Moms and Dads all over the country who have their children sent away. Maybe we should have a Day for Parents of Veterans! I think its one thing to be 18 or 20 and be gung ho about serving in the military, and another to be 40 and know what risks there are with military service and to think about your child being exposed to them, no matter how old they are.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! Joey! We will be missing both you and Brian this weekend at the Kiwanis Cabin.
Timmy, Brenden, Ava, Emma and Georgia