Reflections

Today is both Flag Day and the Army Birthday. When I was in the Army, we often had cake and celebrations associated with this day. Today, I'm just at home still in my PJs reflecting on the fact that I've spent more time outside of the Army than in it.

The first time I deployed, a volunteer handed me a little flag before I stepped on the plane. It was the same kind I've handed out at parades or nursing homes, the little inexpensive ones on a wooden rod that might give you a splinter if you're not careful. But that day, I had this realization that there was a chance I might not set foot on American soil again. I clung to that little flag in fear and anxiety, hoping for the best.

As controversial as General MacArthur was, sometimes I still hear the recording of his aged voice in my head... ""Duty, Honor, Country" — those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn."

In tough times, in challenging times, in scary times, I find myself clinging metaphorically to that little 30-cent flag. Sometimes, I feel its splinters digging into my hand. But I hold fast because of those three words, reminding me to never give up on courage, faith, and hope. There remains the possibility and potential for a better tomorrow.

Wounded Warrior Project 8K

The Wounded Warrior Project 8K series came to Franklin, and I had to participate in honor of those who continue to serve and those who've sacrificed even more.  I was terribly sick, so I took it easy, but it was a great fall day for a run.  They kicked off a Soldier Ride bicycle group, had a great live band, and even provided a photo booth so you can have a souvenir.

LOL photo

I was a great course with a few Tennessee hills (of course), plenty of water points, and a good group of supporters along the way.  Lots of signs on the course too!  I ran in honor of my friend from West Point, Sal Corma, who died in Afghanistan in 2010.  He was one of the best guys...  and you should read more about him.
If this series comes to you, you need to check it out!  They're in Phoenix next month.

CK Mondavi: Wine and Warriors #CKMondaviHeroes

As a military veteran, I was honored to be selected to sample two bottles of wine from CK Mondavi, all in support of their Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.  After all, not only do I love supporting the military and American companies/manfacturers, but I love my wine!  CK Mondavi is run by a WWII veteran (like my grandfather) and four generations of his family, and it's the only American made & grown wine in the “supermarket wine under $10” category.  As a girl who heads into the store looking for great value for my evening glass, it felt good to know the history and origin of these bottles.  It seems like the Mondavi family, like my own, has a history of service and patriotism.

With my father at West Point as a toddler, then as a cadet myself, then in Iraq!

I come from a long line of military veterans.  I've traced my lineage back to the American Revolution!  But since I left the service, I've had mixed feelings about so many companies clamoring to feature military imagery and emotional stories in their commercials and campaigns, knowing that they were using patriotism to sell product vs. actually helping the veterans they claim to care about.  They don't put their money where their mouth is, but they're happy to make you tear up during their ads.  That's why I'm excited about CK Mondavi.

CK Mondavi supports the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), which serves U.S. military personnel wounded or killed in service to our nation and their families. (For more information, visit www.fallenheroesfund.org.)  They are funded entirely by public donations.  To do their part and walk the walk, CK Mondavi is donating a percentage of each bottle sold between May - August to IFHF (up to $50,000).  That is an incredible commitment to helping veterans, and we can do our part by buying these great American wines at a great value.

A humanitarian mission in Iraq...  Yes, that's me!

I can endorse the program all day long, but how about the wines?  I was a French major, after all!  (I was even in the wine-tasting club on my semester in Paris.)  I was sent two wines, their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.  I can vouch for them both.  Dan and I both agree we'd buy the Cabernet again, as it's our shared favorite kind of wine.  It was really smooth and good; I finished my first glass quicker than I thought I would.  They're a fantastic value to boot, under $7 a bottle in some places.  I will definitely be buying more between May and August to support this cause.

Thank you, CK Mondavi!

Please comment below to share your own story about supporting veterans and/or American-made products. I will select ONE reader to be entered into CK Mondavi’s grand prize drawing by May 15. The grand prize is a $500 donation to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund in the winner’s name!


I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Thank you for supporting those who support me!

West Point

One thing my Nashville blogger buddies know about me that I don't mention too often here: I'm a U.S. Army veteran and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Whew, that's a mouthful.

I hadn't been back to visit USMA (as it is more briefly called) since 2008, when I saw a friend who would be killed in action in Afghanistan just a couple of years later while I was deployed to Iraq.  We'd lived in the same dorms for three years together.  His name was Sal Corma, and he was 24 years old.  He was an only child with an infectious smile and the most polite and genuinely kind person you'd ever meet.

Recently, I had a chance to return with friends to my alma mater.  One of the first things we did was visit the cemetery.  As my friend JH guided me to Sal's grave (the headstones were beautifully decorated with wreaths from Wreaths Across America for the holidays) I noticed that I knew so many of the other names in that corner of the cemetery.  JH and I were suddenly overwhelmed with tears, something I hadn't been expecting at all.  I won't even list all of the names here because there are so many, people I used to see at meals, in the hallways, in class.  It's just too much sometimes, and I have started to understand why I'm not as open here about it as I am other things in my life.

Visiting West Point was the oddest feeling...  It felt like I was coming back after Christmas break to put on the uniform and start classes again, and it was strange not to walk past the signs into the cadet areas.

Jefferson Library

After visiting the cemetery, I wanted to see the new library, which was being built when I graduated.  I wanted to see it.  It was much more modern-looking to me than other buildings, but I think over time the stone will age and blend in.  I even had a chance to chat with a cadet who was standing guard, and while our experiences are very different they also sounded very similar.

Another plus of visiting West Point is that so many people I know are living and working around the school.  I went to Andy's Restaurant, an old brunch hangout of mine, to meet with a few girls I ran cross country with during my freshman and sophomore years.  It was so neat to see everyone years later!

Reunion at Andy's Restaurant

I must admit, however, that one of the most important things about my trip to West Point was spending a few days with my little "niece" Elle.  I was Maid of Honor for JH and PH (and I helped set them up in college) so I consider them my family.  I see them every year though mostly just in passing on one of their long car trips, but it just isn't enough.

I had such a good time just being at home with them, even though JH did have me help with a little drywall and it went in my EYE and I don't do that stuff OMG.  I picked up cooking tips from J, we took Elle to see Frozen (so good!), and we had a really great visit.  I didn't realize how much I'd missed them until I was there, then I didn't want to leave!  They've also done such an amazing job renovating their home.  It's a Before/After dream.

Yeah, I need to correct the red-eye but whatever.

A real fire and Peanut loves it.

 I had a fantastic trip... and then I caught a direct flight to San Francisco.  To be continued...

P.S.  I also stopped very briefly in NYC to surprise my cousin Suzy!  If you're into yoga, or think you might want to start, you should check out her website or Facebook especially if you're in NYC.

P.P.S.  You might have noticed I no longer feature my Before I'm 30 bucket list.  Well, I thought I'd briefly mention why.  26-year-old me loved the idea of doing 100 silly things before I'm 30, but almost-29-year-old doesn't even want to do most of those things anymore.  While it has been enjoyable and fun to chase those "goals", they just aren't aligned to where I am in life no.  Tant pis, c'est la vie, que sera sera.  I'm happier pursuing the here & now, and I'm lucky enough to have an amazing life happening without a list!

America's Game #GoArmy

I'm not a sports person.  I can typically tell you which sports team belongs in the NFL, MLB, NHL, or NBA, and I know the basic rules.  (Well, less in hockey, and I still haven't figured out "off-sides" in soccer.)

But one day a year, I'm a die-hard sports fan.  And that is the day of the Army-Navy football game, a.k.a. America's game.

My father, uncle (on my mother's side), and myself are all West Point graduates.  No matter how good either team has been in the regular season, Army-Navy is rarely an obvious game to watch.  There's something about this rivalry that makes each side want it so badly, miracles can happen.

So one day a year, I'm riveted to the screen.

Trent Steelman, saluting after his touchdown

It hasn't always been easy to watch.  Going into this recent match-up, we'd suffered embarrassing losses for the past decade.  But last year, we were within single digits.  And this year, as heartbreaking as it was, we were within a play.  We were leading into the 4th quarter, but came up short in the end.  It was one of the longest 15 minutes of my life.

After the game, I stood up to sing my Alma Mater with the team on screen.   Tears streamed down my face as I watched Army's Senior QB, Trent Steelman, sobbing on-screen.  He was so close, and he wanted it so badly.  I wanted it for him, for all of us.  We deserved it.  But I wasn't embarrassed, I was proud.

At the end of the day, I think about the seniors on both teams, who will join the armed forces in May, undoubtedly deploying to harm's way.  Truthfully, this football game was the easy part of their journey.

We'll get them next year.  BEAT NAVY!  I maybe a sports fan one day a year, but I have a fantastic team.

Last troops leave Iraq

Maya Alleruzzo on WhoSay

The last vehicle in a convoy of the US Army's 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division crosses the border from Iraq into Kuwait, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. The brigade's special troops battalion are the last American soldiers to leave Iraq.
(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

This photo was taken by Maya Alleruzzo, an AP photojournalist I had the pleasure to spend time with in Iraq in 2010.  To see this picture now, a year after returning from Baghdad, is a bit surreal.  I think a lot about how that year changed my life...  I didn't come back the same person that I was before I left.  I don't yet know what to think of that, but I'm trying to figure it out.  And as I finish up the last few months I have left in the military, I think about the friends I've lost overseas, the Iraqi people I met, and the ones that I served with.  It's bittersweet to see photos like this, but I am happy that everyone (including some good friends!) are now on their way home from Kuwait.  Well done, my friends.

Giving thanks

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving was all about family.  If we were stationed overseas, my Mom cooked the meal for our little family of four.  When we were in Indiana, we ate at the smorgasbord that was Grandma & Grandpa's house, sometimes even joining the larger family of my Grandma's siblings for another meal.  As I reflect today on Thanksgivings past, I realize I haven't had one of those large family gatherings in years due to my Army assignments...  and I don't know if I ever will again.

Thanksgiving 2010, in Baghdad, Iraq

Without my Grandma, the glue that held the family together, other things seem to get in the way of everyone getting together now.  There is no magnet to draw us all in, which is incredibly sad to me, especially since most of the family lives within an easy driving distance of each other.  I suppose it's only natural that we give up the big parties with tons of cousins and aunt and uncles.  We draw closer our nuclear families... which for me, is something I have always had as a constant in my life.  Someday, my sister and I will have kids of our own to increase the numbers, increase the joy.

Last year, I was in Iraq for Thanksgiving.  I served the troops at our dining facility, and it was a really happy time despite being so far from home.  I think that most people, including my own friends and family, have no idea what it's like to spend a holiday so far away from 'home' in such an austere, unfriendly environment.  They may never know what it is like to feel that vacancy, that void... and maybe that's why things like Thanksgiving meals with family are taken for granted.

Thanksgiving 2011

This year, I served (in another funny hat!) again at our dining facility, for tons of soldiers eating a Thanksgiving fare for lunch yesterday.  It's a moving experience to share that with so many people, and I'm so glad that local families take them into their homes if the soldiers cannot leave for the holiday.

When I think about what I'm thankful for, I realize that I am an incredibly fortunate girl.  I have parents who are incredibly supportive and loving towards me.  I have a sister who makes me laugh and will always be there for me no matter what.  I have friends who have helped me survive the worst things in life, especially these past two rough years.  I am so optimistic and hopeful for the future, starting a new chapter in my life, and moving forward.  2012 is going to be my year, but I am thankful to have gotten to this point and to have the best company in life a girl could ask for.

The World-Record Holder - an Empowering Portrait

This is the first post in my new Empowering Portrait series! For each one, I will interview someone I know who has a story to be told... survivors, artists, mothers, students, everyday people who inspire me!

One day, when I was checking my work e-mail, I took a glance at the "homepage" photo on the e-mail website. I saw a girl running in full Army gear, with a caption that read she won the Guinness World Record for being the fastest woman to complete a marathon in full military uniform. My first thought? That she was crazy. My second thought? Wait a minute, I know her!

Sophie and I met in college, where we joined the same club. Immediately I saw how much we had in common. Both of us have Korean mothers (and yet never truly learned the language), and we both spent part of our childhood following our fathers' jobs around the the world, infecting us with the travel bug! As soon as I saw the photo, I e-mailed her, because seeing it just left me speechless. And I wasn't the only one who e-mailed.

"The coolest part was all the emails," Sophie said. "Every day I felt like I was getting 20 more emails from soldiers I didn’t know, from posts all over the world, from [Privates] to 3-star Generals. I responded to and saved all of them! I was so touched that I affected anyone enough for them to actually take the time to search [for] my name."

E-mail from a soldier to Sophie, now hanging on her wall:

When I saw that you completed the marathon, I wanted to say that was impressive.

When I read that you wore full battle rattle, I was truly amazed.

When I found out that you did it for veterans with brain injuries, I felt impressive and amazing were too soft of words.

The only thing I can say of your actions is that they are heroic and inspiring.

I have always been proud to be a Soldier and honored to be Ordnance, Soldiers like you remind me that I am not the only one.

The coolest part about the race? Sophie didn't do it for the world record, but to raise money and awareness for veterans with brain injuries. Because that's the kind of girl she is.

(Photos: Sophie on her record-breaking run, and Sophie being her beautiful self!)