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Veterans light up the lives of current soldiers’ spouses

Oct- 6-2006 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

by Michelle Cuthrell

When the Stryker Brigade first deployed to Iraq, I experienced an outpouring of support.

There was my family, who called about every five minutes from places like Ann Arbor, Mich.; Dayton, Ohio; and Bozeman, Mont., just to make sure I hadn’t overloaded on brownies and showers and buried myself in my featherbed for the next 365 (or so they thought at the time) days.

There were my hometown friends, who sent about 5.2 million cards and letters the first two weeks my husband was gone.

And there were my Fairbanks friends, who made more leftovers and lasagna and dinners and desserts than I could ever imagine eating all by myself, even if I was pregnant for the first eight months of deployment.

But these days, my encouragers come in slightly different packages — the kind that hold 50, 60, and 70-year-old men in matching hats with special pins who hang out at American Legion posts on weekend nights.

Oh, how I love my veterans.

This year, they have become some of my very best cheerleaders. There’s something very special that happens when a person in the world of the current deployed soldier interacts with a person in the world of the former deployed soldier. No matter the age, no matter the gender, no matter the war, no matter the experience, there’s an instant connection there, and one I’ve really come to treasure as I’ve chatted with the wonderful veterans who have formed a special place in my heart this year.

Billy Smith of American Legion Post 11 is one of them. And this month, he made that special place even warmer.

Earlier in the month, Mr. Smith visited me at my work place. He wanted to know what I thought he and his fellow veterans and Women’s Auxiliary Team at Post 11 could do to help encourage military spouses, especially the ones dealing with the deployment extension. When he mentioned a ladies’ day out, I was absolutely all about it.

Two weeks later, he walked back into my office with a poster advertising a military spouse’s day out that included Mary Kay, facials, pedicures, glamour, hors d’oeuvres, live jazz, phone card giveaways, free day care at Zion Lutheran Church and even free limo rides from Top of the World limo.

That’s what I love about veterans — they just don’t fool around...


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