She became part of my family, and I became a part of her dog pack.
At a time in my life when I had no sense of direction, I took a leap of faith.
I had the distinct thought of 'Oh, this is really happening now' as soon as I felt the G onset from turning the jet.
What I didn’t expect to happen in the military happened--the Marines gave me the confidence to tackle Higher Education.
Eventually, I was given a detail known as Funeral Honors.
What they don't tell you about enlisting is that there will be a lot of hard times.
With all the duties that I had to take care of, somewhere along the line I had forgotten that I needed to take care of myself.
I may not be able to provide a story directly from experience, I do know what it is like to be a dependent of a veteran.
I seized the opportunity for a huge lifestyle change by contacting my local Navy Recruiter.
First stop was bootcamp in Illinois which became an experience that will stay with me forever.
I found myself missing a shared sense of purpose.
One thing I knew for sure was that I had always wanted to become a nurse.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that some of my better times with them were also some of my most miserable times.
If there’s one thing that I learned, it’s that you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
Sound Off: Stories from Veterans & Their Families
Testimonial Disclaimer
The stories and personal experiences expressed throughout are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the official stance or views of Â鶹´«Ã½. Any opinions or statements herein are personal and should not be attributed to the institution.