Hey All!
I just wanted to take a little bit of time to talk about my experience with having members of my family in the Military while growing up and also to share about what it's like to have the experience of having it in my life today with my own family. I also want to thank the unsung hero's of our Military. They risk their lives to keep us safe and our country safe and people really take the sacrifices they make to do that for granted. So we should really take time to make sure they aren't forgotten and that they are appreciated.
I come from a Navy family as all my uncles were in the Navy and also in the Army reserves. I actually grew up seeing my uncles very little as they were always shipped off to other countries, or sailing away I should say as they always were stationed on a Navy vessel with lots of plains.
All my uncles were obsessed with planes which is why I believe they joined the Navy as they saw it as an opportunity to one, have the opportunity to go to school, since I come from a not well off family, my grandparents had five children including my mother so they couldn't afford to send everyone to college, so the Military was their only option. I actually got to travel to places like Alaska as a child in order to visit my uncles and see them get married and such.
I never thought as a child that my future family would also have a Military connection. I never thought that the love of my life would be an solider in the Army. My non-hubby was still in the Army for the first few years of our courtship. It was a very hard time to deal with as I was constantly worried for his safety and it was very hard to keep in constant contact with each other since it is difficult to reach someone in the Middle East. My non-hubby was in the Army for 10 years. It was a long 10 years to say the least.
He's been to Iraq and all around the world defending our country. I respect him beyond words. I am thankful that his serving duties are over simply because the stress was a little too much to handle, especially when you have a new family to care for, but we still have friends who are in the Marines and still in active duty today and who are on their way to Iraq soon. So we now pray for their safe return. Having a family member or friend in the Military can be a difficult thing to deal with but you have to respect them for what they are doing and support them. I support our troops a hundred percent and I hope you do as well!
Also...
Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Kroger and its family of stores have partnered together to support the USO – an organization that provides an extensive range of programs at more than 150 centers in 27 countries and at hundreds of entertainment events each year to support the morale, welfare, social and entertainment needs of troops and their families, free of charge – in its mission to help American troops and their families. Through the partnership Kroger will donate $250,000 to the USO.
As part of the partnership Kroger and P&G have created an opportunity to let consumers virtually“shake hands with a hero” – the proper custom to show your gratitude to US soldiers in uniform to thank them for their service to our country. The first 50,000 people who utilize the microsite application (at www.honoringourheroes.com) to shake a soldier’s hand will receive a coupon (loaded to their Kroger Plus Card) for $1 off P&G products.
