My Country 'Tis of Thee

I have always had very patriotic feelings towards America, this Country in which I was born and raised and have always lived in. Whenever I hear the National Anthem it brings tears to my eyes. I love our flag and all that it represents. I love the colors of red, white and blue.

I not only love our country but I love this wonderful world in which we all live. I am saddened by all the warring throughout the world. I have mixed feelings about our country being in Iraq. But despite how I feel about that, I have feelings of deep respect towards the soldiers and all the troops who serve our Country.

They nobly serve wherever they are assigned. They know their life is on the line and yet they do the brave thing, and that is to serve and protect our country anyway!

Many of them are in Iraq or Afghanistan or other places across the world defending the freedom for all Americans while they are away from their families for extended periods of time. I am so grateful for their service.

I happen to have a good friend who is serving right now in Iraq. She is a single Mom of 3 kids. Amy and I have been lifelong friends.




We grew up together, went to school and church together. For a few years we lived right near each other; I lived behind the school and she lived in front of it. We would get together pretty much daily. We loved to stay the night at each others' house or meet at the school to ice skate or play.

Amy moved away during high school and graduated high school from another town in Montana. We kind of lost touch for awhile. I went away to college and she joined the military and started her family. Then we got back in touch.

Amy is currently serving in an undisclosed location in Iraq. She cannot talk about her daily duties. But I know she is a platoon sargeant and she used to drive a "truck" or humvee, now I think they drive her because of her seniority. She says it's cold in Iraq right now and she wears her long johns underneath her uniform. She gets to talk to her kids about once a week. I know she really misses them and wishes she could be with them and not a half a world away in another country.


She has a close relationship with her soldiers. They can trust her with pretty much anything and it shows by them calling to tell her when they have a new baby or by some of the stories she has told me of how they called her to give them a ride home when they have gotten into troubles in their nightlife.


This is Amy just a few days before she left for Iraq in October of this past year when she came to visit me.

Amy reads this blog (I think) and so I want her to know how much respect I have for her and all of these brave and noble troops who sacrifice all that they do for this "Sweet Land of Liberty."