No Sheeples Here: Christmas: For This Is Still The Time That God Chooses

No Sheeples Here: Christmas: For This Is Still The Time That God Chooses

Monday, December 21, 2009

Do you ever think about General George Washington's Christmas raid at Trenton, and his last, lonely winter camp and those cold and nearly frozen soldiers at Fort Niagara? Have you ever thought of the bitter cold of the Argonne, the Huertgen Forest and Bastogne, the Aleutians, the Chosin Reservoir, the Sava River, or Tora Bora?

Our real American heroes—not those bloated, pampered, over-indulged athletes or actors we hear so much about—are hardly given their due. They pass quietly among us, never seeking acknowledgement or fame for the difference they make every day.

On 14 December 2009, I received an email from someone who wrote, “I’ve enjoyed your blog for a long time and just wanted to let you know.”

I replied writing:

Major Givler, it is a distinct honor to know that you are a regular visitor to my blog. I hope that in some way, you are able to enjoy the blessings of this Yuletide Season. I want to personally thank you for your service and your sacrifice on our country's behalf. I am grateful to "know" a hero. By the way, every time I spot a service member I walk up to them and say, "May I shake the hand of a hero? Thank for you for your service. Our country appreciates all that you do. May Godspeed."

An undeniable warmth rises in us both and my day is made when I know that I brought a smile to the face of that service man or woman. Today, Major, may I symbolically shake your hand and thank you?

Godspeed Sir!

I have not asked for this hero’s permission to reprint his email response, but somehow I don’t think he’d mind.

Sun, Dec 20, 2009 at 1:04 AM
Greetings from Riyadh

Dear Carol,

Thank you for your kind words. I honestly don’t know what to say when people thank me for my service; I count it a privilege to be able to work with the greatest young men and women in the world, and I have no doubt that I have gotten much more out of my years in uniform than I’ll ever be able to repay.

I will, however, pass along your thanks to my wife, Susan, and our kids, Zach (11) and Zoe (7) who, without a doubt, are the ones who sacrifice every day in order for me to be able to do what I do. I’m coming to the end of an 18 month assignment here in Riyadh, where, for security reasons families have not been allowed. In addition to this separation, there have been two deployments to Iraq, and a year in Korea, during which my wife bore all the responsibilities of keeping our house in order while homeschooling our kids. (No sheeples there.) If anyone deserves thanks (and a pension) it is my wife, who has served our country just as much as I. As she sometimes reminds me, I get to run around, see interesting places and practice my Arabic. She gets to stay home, fix bicycle tires, cook meals, and keep our house from falling down. I don’t know how she does it.

After I leave here in January, we will have a three year tour together as a family in Portugal. I’m hoping that will be somewhat of a reward for my family.

I return your handshake and your thanks. Nothing we accomplish overseas will be of any use without people like you at home; making sure the constitution we defend abroad is still honored in our republic. All the best of God’s blessings this season, and in the New Year.

Sincerely,
Steven

STEVEN A. GIVLER, Maj, USAF
Assistant Air Attaché
US EMBASSY Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Comm: 966.1.488.3800 ext 4429
DSN: (318) 252.4429
STE: (318)
252.4583

Frontpage interviewed Major Steven Givler, a career intelligence officer in the United States Air Force on May 17, 2006. Having flown more than thirty combat and combat support sorties in surveillance aircraft in support of the war on terror, Major Givler has traveled the length and breadth of Iraq on the ground. He is the author of Notes of Joy and Sadness, Letters and Paintings from Operation Iraqi Freedom—a collection of his letters and paintings that detail his deployments to the Persian Gulf. Some paintings from his book can be seen here.

Let me encourage you, in the midst of Christmas preparations, not to forget our troops who are serving our country and facing danger every day—and their families who miss them.

And for the record, if Major Givler follows Stacy McCain’s blog, then can Barrett Brown and Charles Johnson’s demonization of him be credible? I’ll let you be the judge.

Veterans Day

As one veteran to all of the others- thank you. My paternal family's military history goes back to the Revolutionary War, in which Jacob Maple served in the Middlesex NJ militia as a private at the battles of Trenton and Monmouth. His son William served during the War of 1812 from Guernsey County, Ohio. William's grandson Albert Gallup Maple, my great great grandfather, served during the Civil War in a unit from Illinois. His grandson, Albert Gain Black, my paternal grandfather, served in the Army during World War I as a Lieutenant, and he is buried in Arlington national Cemetery. His son, Robert Gain Black, Sr., my dearly loved father, served in the Army during the Korean War. (Dad died on 17 September 2009, and his obituary and his funeral service reflected his military service.) Of my father's eight children, his two eldest, myself and my brother Robert Gain Black, Jr. both were commissioned into the United States Army right of college- both of us having received ROTC scholarships- mine was a four year and I graduated from St. John's UNiversity in 1984, with a Regular Army commission in the Ordnance Corps. Robert graduated from Drake University in 1985 with a Regular Army commission in the Field Artillery. He retired after serving in both Gulf Wars and in Bosnia. My husband, Geoffrey, is a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy Reserves. My maternal family's military history is not as extensive, as it did not precede the 19th century. My maternal grandfather served enlisted in the Navy in World War I, and one of his brothers attended West Point and served during the same war. My father in law and his brother bothe served in the 1960s and late 1950s i the US Army.