Red Friday Post - This Is Why We Wear Red on Fridays

Bruce, Kally, J.M. MSgt Leroy Petry and Sharon, in Cincinnati

I'm at Lori Foster's Reader/Author event #RAGT15 in Cincinnati. It's the first time I've been here. Met up with good friends J.M. Madden, Bruce and Donna MacDonald, Karen Henderson, April Allen, Sabrina York, Darynda Jones, Kallypso Masters and the lovely Charlotte, and many many others. If I try to name them all I'll forget one and it will ruin my night.

Bruce met and introduced us to Master Sergeant Leroy Petry, a proud veteran now a motivational speaker, who is a common man who did uncommon things. In fact, he was so uncommon, he was awarded many ribbons and medals, including the Army Commendation with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with a bronze Oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, and The Congressional Medal of Honor.

Code Talker quilt

If you read about him in the link provided, you will find he also attended Indian school near Santa Fe, New Mexico. A statue of his likeness is located today at the Pojoaque Pueblo. I believe this fine warrior is Native American.

As I read further, I found this:

Tattered but still there

A Taliban fighter threw a grenade at their position which landed 10 meters from them; it detonated, and the blast knocked the three soldiers to the ground, wounding Higgins, and further wounding Robinson.^[3] Shortly thereafter the three were joined by Staff Sergeant James Roberts and Specialist Christopher Gathercole. Another grenade was thrown by a Taliban fighter which landed a few feet from Higgins and Robinson. Petry, knowing the risk to his life, moved toward the grenade, picked it up, and attempted to throw it in the direction of the Taliban.^[7] Petry later recalled his immediate reaction was "get it out of here, get it away from the guys and myself. And I reached over, leaned over to the right, grabbed it with my hand, and I threw it as hard as I could, what I thought was at the time. And as soon as I opened my hand to let it go, it just exploded instantly. And I came back, and the hand was completely severed off."^[8] The detonation amputated his right hand, and sprayed his body with shrapnel.^[9] In throwing the grenade away, Petry likely saved the two other soldiers from serious injury or death.^[10][6]

Petry placed a tourniquet on his right arm.^[1] Roberts began to fire at the Taliban fighters, suppressing them in the courtyard. An additional fighter on the east end of the courtyard fired, fatally wounding Gathercole.^[3] Higgins and Robinson returned fire, killing that fighter.^[1] They were then joined by Sergeant First Class Jerod Staidle, the platoon sergeant, and Specialist Gary Depriest, a medic. Directing the medic to treat Gathercole, Petry was assisted by Staide and Higgins to thecasualty collection point.^[3]

There are no accidents. I was meant to meet this fine young man who sacrificed himself that day to save others, and who fought to protect our way of life. What I didn't know until I got up in my room and began to read the information on Petry was that he served with a young man our family knew from Sonoma County, Chris Gathercole. Every time I mail a package to some one of my fans, I see Chris's picture on the wall at the Santa Rosa Main post office, along with the other dozen or so brave young men who lost their lives and are honored there. 

And next week when I go home, and mail my next package, I will look at Gathercole's picture, and I will silently thank him again, and let him know his teammate fights on for all of us. Because although Petry is now retired from active duty, there is still much work to be done amongst the community. My job is to watch, pay attention and record or bring light to it.

And to enjoy my life to the fullest. Thank you, Staff Sergeant Petry, and Specialist Chris Gathercole, for protecting my freedom with your precious blood. 

Flying The Flag. Making the Choices.

Before you read this blog, read this great article about Ernie Napper and the flag retreat at Disneyland.

You're going to probably wonder what this post has to do with Veteran's Day, one of the holidays our family celebrates in our own quiet way. Stick with me for a few minutes.

Wanted to make it to the Petaluma parade today, but have other blogging and writing obligations. I'm a big fan of parades, though. I remember my grandpa riding his horse, Bobbie Rex, in the DAV unit in Fresno. 

I also love to look at the cemetery when it's filled with flags. The sounds of them rustling in the wind makes me cry every time I see/hear it. I heard the rush of acres of flags at a WWII cemetery in Tunisia a few years ago and I had the same reaction then as now. At local celebrations I love watching the older men and women who've served this great country get up out of their wheelchairs sometimes to salute. And the motorcycle riders who block the demonstrators with their hateful banners aimed at the families of the fallen, a right of free speech others paid for with blood.

I'm reading a great book, oddly recommended by our Romance Writers of America magazine this month (I know), called Getting More, by Stuart Diamond. It isn't what you think. It isn't about winning at all costs, or carving out your piece of the pie. It's about understanding where you fit in, where you can collaborate, where and why you should connect and give back, sometimes with the ultimate sacrifice. Here's a great example:

"Too often people think they can meet their goals only at the expense of others...If you meet your goals today at the expense of the long term, you have served yourself poorly. Getting More means meeting your goals for all relevant people and periods..."

He goes on to say, "Once you have identified your goals, it is important to keep asking, 'Are my actions meeting my goals?' The world is full of people who fail to do this. They get emotional or distracted or are just not thinking this way. It goes for you and it goes for others you care about."

The getting emotional part I just cannot contain. Guilty as charged. My grandmother and I used to sit together on her overstuffed couch in the parsonage in Napa and cry during Lassie. That was back in the day when my brother and I would spend part of our summer vacation with them. Sometimes we'd get moved to that couch in the middle of the night if a woman and her children needed a home for the night to get away from an abusive relationship. I thought every family fed homeless people, sent cookies to shut-ins at hospitals, and took in badly battered women and their scared-to death-children. That was what I grew up with.

So why would I focus on goals today when we are celebrating veterans this weekend? Because they blazed the path, paid the sacrifice so we could live lives of meaning and purpose, so we could give back where we can and not worry about what we can't. So we can say thank you to those that make it their mission in life to serve, with only the minimal recognition we give them. Because that's not their goal. They don't need the parades. We do. So we never forget to be grateful.

Sacrifice is never fair. Trust me, having raised 4 children, I'm not always fair, and I used to tell them all the time I would screw up, and did often. But the goal in our family has always been to celebrate life, all forms of life, to treat people with respect, and to work for things worthwhile.

Earl Nightingale used to define success as, "The achievement of a worthwhile goal." He used to say that, "Successful negotiation is the result of a good presentation." I think Stuart Diamond would agree with this principle. You have to know what you want to get the things you want out of life. You have to know what people around you want to create, that "clan" of supporters that help you along the way, as you help them. It is in the helping others that you become a better person, which in turns brings more success, and certainly a lot of satisfaction into our lives. And helps us give more. 

And there is one other person I check with on a regular basis. The great man upstairs. He's never given me bad instructions and when I listen, he is patient and wise. I may not be one who is called on to fight on a battlefield, like my imaginary SEALs do, like the men I love so dearly do in the real SEAL community. But my mission in life is to stay aligned with a plan and purpose bigger than I am. 

And to thank those who died or suffer ongoing so that I can live the life of my dreams. My goal is not to waste, but use fully what I have been so generously given, to live with the full-on intensity of my being.

Wounded Warriors Carry Forward Gala

I had the pleasure to attend the second Wounded Warrior Carry Forward event last night in Los Angeles. We raced down from Sonoma County, getting here with a half hour to spare. I changed into my dressy clothes in the front seat of Don's Passat, put on some makeup quickly, and voila! I was ready to go.

I am a Wounded Warrior supporter, and have given them generous donations from the sales of my SEAL books. I've done so with the SEAL/UDT Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, and even have a plank to prove it as a founding member of the group. Supporting these veteran's groups is one of the fun things I get to do as a writer. But of course, I'm having the most fun telling the stories.

Boy were there stories last night. Tony Sirico won the first-ever James Gandolfini award for service to the Wounded Warrior community. He ended his speech with a "batta-bing" and a point to the sky as a message to James from the heart. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. James' son was there as well as many of the cast of Sopranos.

What I didn't know until last night was that James Gandolfini had worked with veteran's groups for years, being especially concerned with PTSD disorders of returning vets of the Iraq and Afghan wars. His father was a WWII Purple Heart recipient. James produced "Alive Day Memories" and "Wartorn," both dedicated to the stories of these returning warriors and the impact that has had on the remainder of their lives. These stories are told in first person details, Gandolfini interviewing them, or sharing their journals and diaries.

My post is late because I'm here in San Diego today and tomorrow, supporting my husband who is at a Real Estate mastermind event. But I'm going over to Coronado later on, going to sit on the beach, drool, and work on my next SEAL book. 

I am so grateful that I am able to be a writer, able to share some of these events, and bring awareness to men and women who have given more than what was asked of them. It is what makes this country great. These days when we're thinking of perhaps other things going on, I am so grateful I get to spend a weekend focusing on what's right with the world, not what's wrong.

Sharon Hamilton

Life is one fool thing after another.

Love is two fool things after each other.

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D is for DUTY

Welcome to day 4 of the A-Z Blog Challenge.

D is for Duty. Visited one of the offices of the Wounded Warrior Project in Fayetteville. The words on the bottom of their card read: Duty, Honor, Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Country, Service.

This group often is the first bit of contact, outside of the military, a wounded U.S. Serviceman or woman receives when they come stateside. Sadly, it is sometimes the only connection they have. When they are first recuperating from their injuries, they receive support from this volunteer organization on behalf of all of us. There is also a package that can be given to a loved one who comes to be with the injured vet.

You can find more about this wonderful organization here.  There are several branch offices all over the U.S. Take a tour, learn about what you can do. Get involved, if you can. Make a difference for someone you don't even know.

I also walked through the Veterans Memorial Park in Fayetteville--a stunning and somber tribute to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Every branch of the Armed Services was represented there in a stunning display of granite, glass, steel, remnants of military equipment and quotes from leaders going back to George Washington. His quote I love, "The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment. But it is no less a magnificant mixture of triumph and tragedy."

It's truly hard to tell you how I feel about all of this, other than to say I'm grateful. Very grateful. And I plan to enjoy the freedoms I've been given all the more by remembering those who helped give me that gift.

Don't forget to catch the other A-Z Blog participants by clicking here