My husband, Richard Walker, enlisted in the Army in 1975. After three years of active duty he joined the Colorado Army National Guard in 1980. He graduated from OCS in 1985 and retired as a Major in 1999. During his years in the Army he served as a radio operator, airfield operations, combat medic, field medical assistant, and medical service corps officer.
His unit was activated for Desert Shield in 1990 and continued into Desert Storm. Our son, Aaron, was four years old and our daughter, Bethany, was born just after he was activated. He commanded the main medical evacuation hub for the theater. When he returned Aaron was turning five and Bethany was six months old.
For the last 20 years he has suffered from Gulf War Syndrome, PTSD, and a disabling injury. They say that dying in service to your country is the ultimate sacrifice. I do not want to lessen the sacrifice of those who have died nor their families. However, being disabled and living with the after affects of your service is a tremendous sacrifice in itself for the veterans and their families. You are reminded of it every single day.
Now our son is following in his father’s footsteps. He enlisted in the Colorado Army National Guard in 2010 and has graduated as a combat medic. He loves serving in the military and is looking forward to his opportunity to serve his country.
I am very proud of both of them. They exemplify what it means to be a soldier, dedication, integrity, and honor.
Glena Walker
Pueblo, Colorado
**Thank you for sharing your story with us, Glena.**
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2 comments:
I agree with Glena...many vets like Dick and his family pay the price every day. I know their lives have turned out differently than they would have imagined. Thank you!
Having served with Dick Walker in Desert Storm he brought dishonour on himself and the military. So much complaining in uniform-and the complaints dont stop when he is out of it. Dick always acted like he was better than everyone else-and you could never count on him to do his job. Now he complains and his wife too-but it goes with the job. Dick was always less than a man in uniform and out of it. I have a copy of a journal kept in Desert Storm that documents his antics.
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