Good Morning, I was talking to my husband who is a 23 yr Retired Army Veteran.  He was awarded with many many awards, but the ones he keeps in a safe deposit box are a Bronze Star w/ V badge, and a total of 3 purple hearts.  He was on a total of 8 deployments and took 4 different shots during those.  The last one thru his neck causing him to have to relearn how to walk, talk, and write.  He beat the odds only to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016.  With a 5% survival rate they again told him to he had only a few months left.  He told them "I have been to hell and back, you are not the first doctors to give up on me, and more than likely will not be the last."  He told me he would fight the cancer just like he fought everything else, with every ounce of fight he had.  Today he is cancer free and fights pancreatic disease daily.  He is my soulmate.   We met in the 6th grade and have been together ever since.  24 years of marriage and 2 adult kids who grew up with him being away.  I don't know how or what it takes to get a Veteran in your parade but thought I would ask.  He would never put himself out there as he always tells me and everyone else who asks about it.  "I volunteered to do a job; I am no different than every other American who does their jobs daily.  They make America great, just like I do.". 

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I was able to get him to actually go and watch from a distance. He didn't know it but we recorded him as the flag walked by and as the purple heart group also went by. He saluted the entire time and dropped to a knee in prayer when the MIA/POW flag went down the street. He goes to the Veterans Cemetery 4 times a year. His grandfather, and grandmother are buried in Dry Creek which is attached with the Veterans Cemetery. His best friend, is buried is buried in the front section of row e. He visits him for hours and hours, and Saturday was different except this time he left his entire cluster of medals off his dress uniform. His biggest issue is his family doesn't understand what he had to do and why he is so isolated from them. It hurts him each and every day that his own mother, father, brothers and sisters tell each other. He was a warehouse manager, how did he get shot, how he helped 300 5th and 6th graders from being kidnapped and either raped, sold or killed. Sorry for my rambling but I am very happy you held that event. It's the first one since his last day in uniform that I have able to get him to go an event around the military. He says "its nothing but a job hunny, every American would have done exactly what I did...the proof in that is the shame I get from my own family".

Thanks again, and God Bless.

Thanks for your time,

Wife of Retired Master Sgt U.S. Army.