Reflections

I was born in 1960, and if I had been born in ’58, it would have been a completely different life.— Michele Howard, Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired), first woman four-star admiral and first Black woman to captain a U.S. Navy ship, Women in the…

I served as an infantryman in the Marine Corps for 25 years, reaching the rank of master gunnery sergeant. I deployed seven times, including three tours in Iraq, and served five years overseas. I received numerous awards and decorations,…

Our family motto was, “Don’t look back.” Eyes forward. It’s just easier that way.The call came as we settled into sleep. She’d taken a bottle of pills but said she hadn’t wanted to. I told her to go to the emergency room. She said she was…

On an ordinary day in 2008, my wrists started hurting. Like every other evening of that tour, I woke up, ate chow, strapped on headphones, and started translating to kick off the night shift. My work streamed in and out of antennas mounted…

A few nights ago, I did something I rarely do. I met up with a buddy from my soldiering days. We had a good time, drank a few too many beers, and did what soldiers do best. We told stories. We laughed about the stupid things our Joes did in…

I spent 18 months in training before reporting to my first submarine. I learned a lot about damage control, sonar, electronics, and how to distinguish a sperm whale from a humpback whale. But nothing prepared me for the disconnection from…

I woke up early on the morning of Dec. 6, 1972, to pack and say tearful goodbyes to my wife, Martie, and our one-year-old daughter, Amy. We’d decided ahead of time that my father-in-law “Pop” Lowry would drive me from Temple, Texas, to Love…

Before opening the door to my husband’s brand-new squadron, I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. I was 23 years old, and I didn’t know a soul there besides my new husband. Tonight was the first social event we attended, and I felt…

I am the worst person ever. I am THE WORST person ever. I AM the worst person EVER. I AM THE WORST PERSON EVER. i am the worst person ever.I lived with these thoughts for a long time, and my family lived with me living with these thoughts.…

Family time eluded me for much of 2010. As my unit prepared to join the ever-growing number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the Marine Corps kept us busy training in North Carolina and Arizona.First Lt. William Donnelly IV training in the…