A Few To Remember that served our country

This is Body Guard's dad on the right, James (Jim)Dalenberg

Picture from when he was serving in World War II.

I think this was his battle buddy.

There is a plaque in the South Holland Library, downstairs Historical Society collection with his name on it.

I took many pictures on that trip to Chicago and I'm so glad I got these. We did get permission from the historical society to take these pictures, FYI.

The fellow in the black leather jacket......that's my hubbie looking at that uniform.

I was distracted by this:

Another family member in World War I

Of course, I couldn't help but remember our nurses on the missions. So I snapped this pic of the uniform.

This was back when nursing was really what nursing is about. I wish we could capture this dedication in this generation.

Miss Cornelia Dalenberg, BG's aunt, Jim's sister, was a missionary nurse that served many years.

Mostly in Saudi Arabia. She wrote a book, Sharifa, about her life and experiences over in the area, right where we are still fighting today. The Persian Gulf. We have a copy of this book and it's phenomenal to read because not much in their culture has changed over in the Holy Land in 100 years, really not anything at all when you read of her encounters. She served as a midwife for a King over there. What an honor.

She never married and dedicated her whole life to mission work.

And of course, here is my son, Matthew Brandon, named specifically because Matthew means "a gift from God". He just served in Afghanistan and thankfully, oh so thankfully, did not give his life there but did worry us alot. This was me taking his pic at his pinning ceremony in Columbus, Ga. --Fort Benning

Believe, me, it's a mixture of pride and complete terror, when your baby boy is in uniform.

Haven't heard from him like he said he would call us since the day he got back from Afghanistan. We are very proud of him as a soldier. As a son, who I thought loved me very much and raised, we are certainly dissapointed in his recent actions. I sincerely hope he can overcome those areas that challenge him emotionally. He left to deploy with alot of anger and didn't respond to any of his letters or packages we sent. In fact, the LT. told us finally that he wrote a formal letter that he was abandoned at birth and had not seen us in 6 years, and had been married for well over a year. The only truth was that he had been married. At first I was shocked. Then, I had to laugh as I remember quite readily our 22 years together.....from day 1 wiping butt to carrying to school and forever getting him out of trouble. I remember when he was 12 and the school called on the last day for his MMR shot which he had to have to be in school. He begged me to home school him in the back of the car while 3 of my nurse friends and I had to embrace him to give him this shot at the health dept.  Oh, my!  Where did that come from? 

 We sent plenty of pics and they were shocked and very apologetic. 

Again, we are so proud as a soldier and hope that the enotionally challenging issues certainly resolve if not only in his heart. That has to be hard to carry around such imaginations that are not real.

And this is my hubbie. He served in 2 wars being in the Reserves and retired 2003.

Our first year of marriage, he was called up for 9/11 to serve for one year.

Another frightful year indeed. But we made it through.

Maybe it was that kinda look right there that got me every time! LOL  Then,when he came back from that tour facing 2 young teens to stepfather and a  wife, his first one at age 44, he probably thought being in Reserves was better. LOL