17
Donna Culp
continued from page 6
By the time I made it to the end of the building the protesters were
lobbing cans of red paint and empty liquor bottles over the fence.
Once in the clinic we observed this activity from the basement
windows JUST on the inside of the fence. That fence was the only
thing between us and them.
Military members and their family’s experiences are as individual as
our fingerprints. We all enter the armed services for different reasons,
under a variety of avenues. At the end of the day, from the day we
raise our hand and take the oath to protect and defend our country
and the Constitution of the United States from enemies foreign and
domestic, our lives are forever changed. We and our families make
some amazing sacrifices in support of freeing the oppressed and
keeping our own from becoming oppressed—Some make the
ultimate sacrifice—for those we owe everything.
Some make the military a full 20-30-year career and those who don’t,
move on for different reasons, but are forever changed. Freedom isn’t
free, isn’t just a cliché, it’s a reality for active-duty military, veterans
and their families. There’s so much more to every veteran’s story, and
to be honest, only those who have been “there” can truly understand.
After a 23-year combined career of military and civilian experience,
I retired and went on to a second career in the Federal government
and retired December 2016. My husband and I reside in Jonathan
Creek and are actively involved in Special Forces Association Chapter
17, WNC MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) and SMS
(Smoky Mountain Satellite) MOAA and SMOF (Smoky Mountain
Outreach Foundation) where we continue to enjoy the fellowship
of fellow veterans and contribute to the support of veterans in our
community.
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