Get FREE Instant Access
To your online Video Fighting Course.
Click Here For FREE Instant Access.

Happy Veteran’s Day From A Fellow Veteran

Hello Everyone!

As the newest member of the FightFast team, I have the unique privilege of sharing with you a very special THANK YOU to our great nation’s military veterans. From the moment that this country was born (and before) we have had brave men and women fight for our freedom at home and overseas. It’s an honor to be addressing so many of you today!

While we sometimes think it’s all men who do the work, I’d like to bring to light the contributions that women have made to our military. We often forget about the mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, girlfriends, and friends who stay here, supporting and waiting for their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, and friends who go to war. The support that these women show our military is unparalleled. Women’s maternal instincts feed into the need we all have to have someone care for our well-being.

Women In The Military

And women are not just staying at home anymore. Rereading some of our military history makes my heart swell with pride for my gender. Before World War II, women were only allowed to serve as nurses and support staff, washing laundry and the like. World War I was actually the first time a woman could officially join the military. According to www.history.org and www.womensmemorial.org, of the 33,000+ women who served in World War I as nurses and support staff, 400 died in the line of duty.

The second world war brought with it the ability for women to join in other helpful roles such as mechanics, test pilots, administration, and ambulance drivers. Even though women were still not in combat, 88 of them were captured and held as Prisoners Of War. Shortly after WW2, Congress passed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed us permanent military status. For the first time, we were able to receive the same treatment and veteran’s benefits as men. This was also around the time that racial segregation ended, allowing the first African-American women to enlist.

In 1967, the cap on the number of women allowed to serve was repealed, along with the highest rank that a woman was allowed to achieve. This opened up the remainder of history for women to break boundaries and achieve things that had NEVER been possible.

Women have been POWs, been covered in blood that was and wasn’t theirs, and died in the line of duty right alongside the boys. They’ve also lead soldiers into combat, piloted combat missions and space shuttles, commanded ships, squadrons, hospitals, schools, and bases, healed, helped, and done a damn good job if it!

Words From A Fellow Veteran

My personal experience in the military was one that I cherish with all my heart. The people I met and places I went will stick with me until the end. I met so many amazing men and women during my service, and I keep meeting these incredible veterans even four years after receiving my DD-214.

When I was 19 years old, I felt stuck and unhappy. My older sister had joined the Navy as a corpsman, and while thinking about my future, the feeling that I could do that too just wouldn’t leave. I talked to my sister and really considered all the benefits and consequences for a whole three days before going to a recruiting office and getting my paperwork. Less than a month later, I was on my way to boot camp!

My rate (job) was Aviation Machinist Mate, working on aircraft engines. That would have been IMPOSSIBLE 75 years ago! I have so much pride for how far we’ve come!

And there are so many veterans out there who need to hear how proud of them you are and how much you appreciate them. We cannot forget that there are still veterans taking their lives every single day. Veterans who feel that their disabilities hinder them from being contributing members of society, or who don’t feel like they can live with the things they’ve had to do. These men and women need to hear that they matter and are appreciated and loved by our nation, TODAY.

From the bottom of all our hearts here at FightFast, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Very Respectfully,
Dorothy Nelson (ADAN)

Twitter
Google+
Facebook

Leave A Reply:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

467 thoughts on “Happy Veteran’s Day From A Fellow Veteran”

  1. Dorothy, Thank you for the blog post. I also served. I was in the Army Nurse Corps for 6 years and enjoyed the experience immensely. I am glad to hear of your affiliation with Fight Fast and wish you well in the future.

    Reply

  2. I want to say thank you for your service,most people don’t know how hard it is. We are about to set out on a new path that I hope to start to rebuild the country. Again Thank you.

    Reply

  3. I didn’t have the honor of serving, but I recognize and respect the sacrifice and risks involved in military service. Your bravery allows us the privilidge to be free. Thank you.

    Reply

  5. Thank you for helping defend our freedoms. As a veteran you understand what military service is like and the difference between the military and civilians mindset. We just see things differently. I spent 3 years in military intelligence. Thank you for your service, sailor.

    Reply

  6. Thank you sister. My Mom was a Lance Corporal USMC. My Pop a Capt. USMC. She became an Officer’s lady. To this day even with my Pop’s passing we stand when my Mom sits at the table.

    Reply

  7. Great post, I am also a veteran of the Navy and served for 10 years as a P-3C sensor operator. I was there when the first squadrons started to integrate females into the fleet in a deployed sea duty command. It took a little bit of work to get everyone to get use to the changes. It all work out to the betterment of the Navy. Thanks for your service. I am still serving as a civilian instructor for the past 28 years.
    AW1 (NAC) Randy Cook

    Reply

  8. That was both informative and enjoyable. We appreciate your service and your TRS contribution, Dorothy thank you.

    Reply

  9. I admire and honor all of our military personnel, their families and the civilians who work to support them. To me you are all hero’s. Please don’t believe that you are worthless and can’t contribute any more. All of you have so much to teach others. I know that you may have trouble dealing with things that you’ve had to do to protect yourself, other service members and innocent victims. Just know that for every action you had to take, it may have caused an enemy’s death but it also resulted in other lives being saved. Please talk to someone if you need to, join a support group of other veterans who understand what you’re going through. I worked in police/fire/ rescue for over 30 years before a bus pulled in front of me and caused me to be 100% disabled. Just like you it’s very hard to try and explain to a normal civilian what or why we had to do something. No matter what anybody says, stay true to yourself and know that you are honored, admired and loved for your service. May you receive all the blessings in the world.

    Reply

  11. I am also a veteran and was an aviation machinist mate. I thank you and all veterans for their service. I wish the best for you in your future endeavors.

    Reply

  15. Sorry I commnted on face book She is a great person as all the rest of them are to with out people like her our country would not be free may God bless every one of them!!!?

    Reply

  16. as an little bit older NAM VET, I hear ya. I had an opportunity to be treated by
    a lady nurse in Danang greatest respect for Corps men Nurses and
    Huey med evac crews willing to come into a Hot LZ. AND I should now add
    the mechanics and others keeping the choppers in the air,
    thanks
    Ben W

    Reply

  18. Thanks for the article. My mother went with my father to Texas and other places during WWII. She worked and helped
    him during the war. He was sent to Japan but the war wound down and they sent the ship back to the USA. Our country
    expected at least 500,000 US men to die taking Japan, but we bombed Japan and the war ended.

    Woman played many roles and served well during WWII and later. But I do not think they should be in combat. The
    physical and mental strains in combat are very different than in other areas of life. Thanks for your service and
    to all the other men and women who have served our country in the military. God bless you.

    Reply

  19. I thank you for yours and all my brother and sister veterans.I served from 1973 to 1987. I am a disabled marine combat veteran.

    Reply

  20. Thank you and every other man,women and animal that has served this wonderful country of ours dogs dolphins and assorted other animals have been sent into service. I?if they were aware what or who they were fighting for but there commitment to their owners speaks for itself.we can’t forget all of the women and men who served our country and cannot be recognized because of the roles they played and don’t get the same benefits as the rest won’t be. Recognized due to the sensitive information they had to work with.and of course thanks to all of the family members who supported our troops be it raising the kids by themselves the parents that gave their blessings to a child that they might not ever see again.andhow many families that suffered and grieved but kept their head’s up no matter the sorrow in there heart’s.lets all give a minute of silence to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice and another in thanks that have come home.

    Reply

  21. By the way my grandmother on my father’s side was a navy head nurse when a kamikaze pilot flew into the operating room of her ship we have no idea where she was buried and I never had the opportunity to meet her , but I do have the pride of her sacrifice and commitment .to the USA.. As I do for myself.

    Reply

  22. Hello Dorothy; It was a pleasure reading your life story in the military and I am proud of you as I am for all military. I had the pleasure of flying for 11 years off seven carriers for good old Navy during the cold war days when we were harassing the Russians 24/7 in the beautiful north Atlantic. I have over 5000 hours of flight time and many of them are sitting directly in back of the 9 cylinder radial engines that you probably worked on. During those days, I will admit, that there were no women aboard. I have been aboard a lot of Navy ships currently as I was president of a Navy League group and find these days that women make up roughly 25% of the crews in almost all tasks aboard. We always told everyone to fly NAVY, the best always have. I enjoyed your story. Barry Snow

    Reply

  23. I want to thank all the women and men in and out of the United States military and their families for the jobs well done so we can continue to have the freedoms to do the things we have been able to do for more than 200 years and without their brave sacrifices our live would be much different today. So thank a veteran or active duty member today for their service and their sacrifices and their service to our great way of life and always remember that freedom is never free it is always paid for one way or another.

    Reply

  25. I think the majority of everyday people appreciate your service but I am not at all happy about the lack of government support for you all when you return emotionally and or physically shattered. It down right stinks. You are so right about the progress us women have carved out for ourselves in a relatively short time. You go girl.

    Reply

  26. My wife proved to me that women are capable in careers formerly reserved to men. In the ’70’s she became a civilian pilot and flight instructor when women weren’t being generally accepted for military flight programs. She persevered in pursuing her career as a pilot, and retired a few years ago as a pilot for Northwest Airlines, one of the first 21 female airline pilots (charter member of ISA+21, an organization of the first 21 women airline pilots). She experienced all the male chauvinistic attitudes possible (they still exist) and gained the respect of the pilots with whom she flew. I’m glad to see women given roles in the military that didn’t exist until recently.

    Reply

  29. I have veteran friends who have fought and died in the falklands, Kuwait, Iraq and many more. I am always amazed at the level of commitment and total selfless acts that you guys and woman do. My utmost respects. X

    Reply

  38. THANK YOU, and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL!!!! I SALUTE EVERYONE WHOSE HAD THE COURAGE, TO “NOT” JUST TALK!!!! BUT STRAP ON AND LACE UP, FOR THIS COUNTRY!!!!! Right, Wrong, or Indifferent, this Countries’ affairs may be in at the moment!!!! IT IS ” STILL OUR COUNTRY!!!” We still enjoy FREEDOMS THAT A LOT DON’T!!!!! DON’T EVER FORGET TO BE GRATEFUL FOR ” WHAT YOU DO HAVE!!!!” Simple things, like being able to JUST read this, if YOU so CHOOSE!!!! HOO AAHH!!!! TO ALL THAT SERVED, OR THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THOSE THAT DID SERVE!!!!! HELPING TO KEEP THEIR MINDS CLEAR, AND PERSONAL MORALE UP!!!! HAPPY VETERANS DAY TO ALL MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT HONORABLY SERVED!!!! ? Subject to interpretation!!!! ??? GOD BLESS US NOW!!!! WE NEED IT!!!!

    Reply

  44. Yes you women have come a long way. I just want to say thanks to all vets male and female for your service. And I pray that the new president helps with helping you all live better and healthier after your term of service.

    Reply

  45. Very awesome article! I am so very thankful and proud of our men and women who have served and do now serve our great country.

    Reply

  46. Thank you !
    Also Thanks to all the other Veterans passed and present !!
    My parents are both Korean war veterans !! That’s we’re they met !! My self I’m Vietnam war veteran!
    Women do play a very big part in the service , and also at home supporting their Loved ones!!

    Reply

  48. Thank you for your navy time. I also served in the navy Vietnam era. Was on an ammunition ship in the med. Was an ensign in the main propulsion plant.
    Learned a lot. One item was to be glad to be on a bigger ship as I watched a destroyer come alongside for some 5 inch shells. We transferred them to them
    and they had to break the pallet of shells down and manually pass them to the shell locker. Think that was also the time we were in north Atlantic in winter
    and seas were high. They were taking water over bow and alternately had their screws come out of the water. Was glad I was not in engine room on their
    ship.
    Was bad enough on mine as I had some equipment near the bow and had to go down 5 decks to check on equipment while we were pitching strongly. Quiclky
    learned to get set on the ladder coming up and wait till the bow thew me up and then move up and hold on again letting the ship do the work getting me up
    to the higher deck to go back aft.
    Thank you again.

    Reply

  50. To all servicemen in women,I I get up and stand at attention my heart covered by my hat to show respect for this country in the men and women who serve it. I also stop and take my head off Hurst that is going by are going by curling my hair I don’t know who’s in there man woman God help and I hope child. I also remember of taking the Pledge of Allegiance to The United States of America. And I take that very seriously I tried to join the armed forces when I was younger. They so so sorry you can’t go I was hurt but it didn’t stop me from have my belief shutdown. Would like to take this time you wish all branches of the Armed Forces a Happy Thanksgiving. Merry Christmas. I hope that we have a good New Year for all of us in America.
    I hope and pray that our president elect Trump kind of remind you of your head home of a Northbound camel ( no offense to anybody meant by that except for) Trump I never liked the man and I’d like to meet and left with his politicking for the last 16 months and they didn’t really need to check to see where some of his billions went to since he won’t release his tax records. When has a president never showed tax records in this present day.
    To the women who has served and to the young women are serving into the ones that will sign up I applaud you like the history shows you guys have been pardon me women have been stepping up as much as you were allowed to Underside feel masculine hierarchy and ideals. I’m so glad do you have you there watching over us here. Thank you thank you and thank you again.

    Reply