Sacrifice and Service

This very moving piece was sent to me yesterday and brought me to tears. This woman's son has just graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Her other son will be graduating from West Point next year. I think those of us who are raised in the U.S. sometimes forget all the gifts and benefits this great country has to offer. I think it is a great reminder to all of us to be grateful for what we have received. And say thanks to those that would honor us by serving to protect us.

I have the agreement from the writer to use this, but have agreed not to use her name. Just wanted to share with all of you who read this blog.    Sharon

Coming home from a quick run to the store, I noticed the “trick or treat-ers” on the streets…..Ahhhh, it never gets old with me!

22 years ago, Oct 31st …Halloween day…the day we arrived in US.

We landed in Green Bay WI, after midnight. A small crowd of people was waiting for us at the airport, people we never met before, having sweet smiles on their faces and weaving small American flags.

Alex and I were walking towards them, exhausted after the many hours on the planes and airports with two small kids and me…very pregnant. We were a sight to see….I was pushing a stroller with little Thomas in it and holding David’s hand. Alex was carrying all we had, two big suitcases and a backpack.

 I got sick so many times on the plane…I remember being hungry and thirsty and as soon as I would eat…out it went. We could never afford to buy coke before, and on the plane it was free, as much as I wanted. Ah, I remember David (he was 2 and a half), telling me that he will put a band aid over my mouth, to not throw up anymore.

Getting in the car, I was so impressed with the “little seats for the kids” (car seats) how special!  I was thinking. On the way home I learned that one will get a ticket if kids are not traveling in those seats, lol!

Less than half an hour we were home.  Our home. Our first home! It was at night and we couldn’t see much outside, but we got in….it was warm and welcoming! Had everything in it!

Our sponsor, a sweet lady, Miss Marianne H, bought this old house and remodeled inside and out to perfection. We were getting the tour of the house….tears were rolling down my face….the kitchen was decorated, even pictures on the wall, table and cushions on the chairs to match with the wall paper. The pantry was stuffed with food, the fridge also, even milk for the kids! Homemade meals in the freezer for a whole month! With directions how to heat/cook them.

We went in the living room….even pillows and throws on the couches…then bedrooms. The boys had each their own twin size bed with matching All Sports bed sets! And a little crib….for the coming baby. Toy box filled with trucks and building blocks. I couldn’t contain myself when I discovered pajamas for the boys and even for us, in the drawers.  Before she left, Marianne showed us one more thing: a phone book! Our name was in there highlighted! OMG!

Then she left. It was almost 4am!

Tired and overwhelmed I couldn’t stop looking through the kitchen drawers, with everything that a kitchen and a cook needs, from pots and pans to fine silverware and cloth napkins and place mats and so many weird tools that I never saw in my life, nor knew how to use them.

Alex and I prayed and cried for a long time….then the sun came up! We went outside in the front yard first. Beautiful gray house, with white shutters! And we could see the park from our front door! Then we went in the back yard! Big and beautiful AND it was all fenced in! Painted gray, to match the house. The fence was a tip given to Miss Marianne by her son in-law who was a missionary in Romania. To help us feel more safe and at home.

We finally went to bed late morning. Slept thru afternoon when we heard the door bell ringing. Who could it be?! Nobody knew us, and Marianne made it clear that unless we call her, she will not bother us till we are fully recovered from the jet leg…etc….Alex went to the door and picked thru the curtains! He looked at me mortified! Masked people! Lots of them! And they kept ringing the doorbell! He calls Marianne and told her what is happening, I could hear her laughing loud saying: “Oh dear, I forgot to tell you….It’s Halloween Day!  Look in the pantry and you’ll see a big basket with candy. Then open the door and give them some candy, they will leave!....And be ready for more trick or treat-ers!”

 Closing the door Alex let out a big sigh! He then told me why he was so scared…Before leaving the refugee camp in Austria, reading thru American History, he learned about KKK , their hate for blacks and immigrants, and how they would go after them wearing white hoods. That’s the first image that came into his sleepy brain when he saw those masked people at the door. . “how did they know there were immigrants here?. How did they found us?!” Lol

Well, that was our first day in America!  

For the next couple of years it was a learning everyday thing for me, for our family. Language was the hardest thing. I did not know more than: Please, Thank you and Good bye! Alex was my translator everywhere. I remember crying all the way home on Sundays, because I did not understand the sermon, and could never keep up with the singing…so today, I wrote this story all by myself!

Interview: In The Shadow of Greatness

Joshua Welle and Graham Plaster, I must say, it is entirely a privilege to interview the two of you. Can’t wait to spread word about your wonderful book.

We military romance novelists write stories with military heroes. Different genre than yours, of course, but our readers like to learn about heroes and heroines who do the right thing, rise to the challenge and, against all odds, achieve a happily ever after. We wish it was always so in real life for these brave men and women.

In romance, we create fictional stories, based on things that could happen, not what did happen. Our average romance reader reads 3-4 books a week. It is estimated to be upwards of 51% of the publishing market. There is currently huge interest in things military, especially Special Ops.

So, thank you not only for your service, but for your time. I've written some questions about this book I think other writers and readers would want to know. So, welcome, and let's begin.

Tell me how you got the idea to put together the stories in this book? Who came up with the idea and how did it happen?

The concept for the book was originally a solicitation to our classmates, the first class to graduate from the US Naval Academy following 9-11, asking them to write something reflecting on their experiences over the past 10 years. We received 63 submissions over the course of three years and spent a considerable amount of time processing the themes that were emerging in the short stories.  

Our primary reason for writing the book was to give voice to our current generation of leaders, promoting an honest but hopeful vision for the country.  We're excited about the result because the book is exceeding our expectations.  Not only was there a lot of interest to write, but there has also been tremendous energy and support from those who are reading the stories.

Whose idea was it?

Joshua Welle, our class President, along with the elected leadership of the class, initiated the project.  Josh deservers the lion's share of the credit for networking with veteran's groups and book endorsers, but we've also assembled a highly talented team of editors, PR and social media professionals.  It has been a team effort.  The four editors on the cover, Josh Welle, John Ennis, Katherine Kranz and Graham Plaster, worked with the content of the book and created the anthology which is the final product.

Who do you want to read this book? Why?

As Tom Brokaw has already said, this book is a "must read for all Americans."  We think that it is a book that can be read by young and old alike, military and civilians.  The stories are short and inspirational, providing insight from up and coming military leaders. They would make great leadership case studies for any group working through particular issues.  

The broader theme of the book is bigger than military service.  By honoring veterans in the book, we also want to cultivate a national dialogue surrounding the enduring qualities that make America great.  These qualities - cherished, defended and exemplified by our veterans, are worth discussing as we continue to grapple with strategic decisions for America.

Tell us how the book is structured and some of the tales it contains.

The book is structured thematically, starting with short stories about experiences at the Naval Academy and remembrances of 9-11, followed by war stories and anecdotes of heroism.  Finally, there are several stories about life after the military, the impact of military service on community leadership and major changes to military and civilian culture over the past 10 years.

Some folks tend to think of their 20s as a carefree decade in their lives…yours was not. Would you have had it any other way?

This is a question that is best answered by reading the book. The answer is mostly no, but there are shadows in our stories.  Not everything is black and white. When we applied to the Naval Academy, we were attracted to the crisp distinctions between navy blue and white, good and evil, satisfactory and unsatisfatory.  These paradigms were tested.  Read the book to get an inside glimpse of how we navigated those waters.

Only 1% of Americans are wearing the uniform and fighting the nation’s post-9/11 wars…should this be a concern?

There is a different opinion on this for every contributor to the book, and the editors cannot speak on behalf of everyone for questions like this, but even in leadership classes at the Naval Academy we discussed the widening culture gap between the military and civilian life. This is a concern to some people, and simply par for the course if you ask others.  

There is a culture gap in any specialization, and in some cases the military does a much better job of keeping the public informed about our values and sacrifices.  We rely heavily on the non-profits, civic organizations and veteran support groups to ensure this gap is bridged.  We are so thankful to those who do understand military sacrifice.  This book is a bridge across that gap.

How has the military treated you and your family?

The military has tremendous programs in place to support families, and the close knit communities that form on far flung bases are the bedrock of American society.  Supporting families is a high priority to our leaders in the military, which is why failures in the system get so much scrutiny.  It is through the difficult process of discussing shortcomings in the system of support that we make it better.  We have confidence that as we raise issues, leaders from our generation will continue to rise to the challenge of supporting military families in the years to come.

And by supporting those families, we learn to heal our nation as a whole. How did you decide who to invite into this endeavor?

The entire class was invited to participate.  Not everyone wanted to write, felt like they were in a position to write.  Because we are still mid-career, there are many questions that go into a project like this.  Am I writing for a good reason?  Am I writing what needs to be said?  Am I correcting a misconception?  We wrestled with these questions as writers and peer editors.

Tell me your most inspirational story and why?

One of the most moving accounts is written by Lisa Freeman, mother of Matt Freeman, who was killed in action.  She writes from the perspective of her son.  When she was first approached to write, she was still too raw from the loss of her son.  Through the process of putting words to paper, and working with the classmates of her son to edit the story, she was able to work through some of the difficult emotions.  She spoke at our national book launch at 9-11 and received a standing ovation for her courage and the great work being done in Matt’s name through The Matthew Freeman Project (freemanproject.org).

Let's hope that some of our readers today can help you and Mrs. Freeman with that goal. Do you have plans for future projects along the same lines? Or, anything you felt got left out because it needs a separate book?

We have 30 more stories that will be published directly to eBook, hopefully soon.  All profits from the book and eBook go to veteran charities.  Our only goal is to make sure the stories get told.

What would you like readers to know about this book?

This is a really unique book.  Many memoirs are written at the twilight of a career, this is a slice of life from 33 mid-career leaders.  Who knows what will become of them?  There may be a future government official or CEO in the mix.  This hall of heroes is an exciting glimpse into the making of America’s next generation of leaders – where they are now and where they might be headed.

What would you like readers to know about you, your team of writers?

We had a few professionals help us with editing, but for the most part, the writing was done by the “doers”.  We had over a hundred submissions by the time we were done, but had to edit it down to reduce redundancy in some of the themes, and find a common thread.  The common elements are leadership, sacrifice and service – across the board.  These are men and women who have done incredible things and will continue to serve our country in heroic ways when they are out of uniform.

Especially with what has happened with current events, why is reading this book so important? What will readers find here they won’t find elsewhere?

Hollywood and newspapers give their accounts of war, but this book allows us to speak for ourselves.  We were eager to write the book to clarify certain misconceptions and help bridge the cultural gap between military families and non-military families.

I'm sure others will agree with me, it is truly an honor to have you here today, and we thank you, not only for your service, but for helping us understand what it takes to be a true leader, told by those who are living it every day.

Some of our readers may have questions and comments. We welcome one and all. Those of you who can, leave them some likes and tags on Amazon here.

Thank you both,

Sharon Hamilton


Excerpts are available at http://shadowofgreatness.com/lookinsid

In The Shadow of Greatness interview this Friday

This Friday, come back to this site for a gripping interview of the two editors/authors of the new Leadership book, In The Shadow Of Greatness.

This was the first graduating class of the U.S. Naval Academy since the 9-11 disaster. It is a non-political book about what courage it takes to be one of America's leaders and the sacrifice it requires.

In my opinion, this should be read by every American citizen. Please show these men and women your support as they shape the vision for this great nation, which isn't always about black and white, red and blue, male and female. Leaders are born and created and step up to the plate every day. And they die that way too.

I am very honored and proud to bring it to you.