Veteran's Day

So this is technically tomorrow, but I thought I'd write about it today. When I was a child, I remember having to do a report on Veteran's day by interviewing a veteran. At the time, the only one that I knew was my great-grandpa Jim. He was in the navy for 31 years, and was stationed on various submarines during WW2. Although I don't have a copy of the interview I did with him when I was in elementary school (which is probably a good thing) I do have a story from a more recent interview I conducted when I visited their home in 2012.

Grandpa Jim said that his scariest experience in the navy happened before the U.S. had taken Guam. He was on war patrol in a submarine, attempting a pilot rescue. They were within 500 yards from land and shore batteries had spotted them and opened fire. The pilot had been shot down and when the submarine went to rescue him, the pilot wouldn't throw the loop of his line over the periscope. The submarine was in a dangerous position, and they had to swing in and out several times to avoid getting shot by the border patrol. It took three tries to save the pilot. The captain of the submarine was furious at the pilot for not cooperating with the rescue. As it turned out, the pilot had a cut hand and a broken wrist.

Serving in the military requires great sacrifice. I'm especially grateful for my family members who have served/ are serving in the military, including a great grandfather, two uncles, and a brother-in-law.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah