It is Veteran's Day, ya'll! I want to thank America's military for being directly responsible for my existence! My parents met in the Navy. I am grateful for their tireless service in Eleuthera, Bahamas...
...wait a minute. That looks an awful lot like paradise. I really tried to get my dad to find the picture of him and his brother's at arms all lined up for muster. As I remember the pic, it is my dad in his full beard, one guy in just his under-shirt, and I distinctly recall someone with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Yep, they ran a tight ship down there in Eleuthera. A beautiful, balmy, 200 feet from a white sand beach ship.
We went as a family to visit their old, decommissioned base several years ago. It wouldn't be a hair of exaggeration to say it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Eleuthra is a long, thin slash of a crescent shaped island right on the edge of the Atlantic, on the edge of the continental shelf. The base sat on the eastern side of the island, just steps away from the beach and a dark and churning Atlantic. On the western side of the island it was the calm and crystalline blue waters of the Caribbean. At one point the island becomes so narrow that the ocean had actually broken through and formed a rock window, dark on one side, light on the other.
Clearly the perfect spot to listen for Russian subs lurking out in international waters. And meet hotties in uniform in my father's case. My mother was a drill instructor (fun times growing up!) and she used to sing this to us occasionally.
So, remember folks, freedom isn't free. You have to thank some bearded dudes and bikinied ladies that shed a lot of sweat over a super awesome barbecue at the beach for the fact you are not speaking Russian right now. (Unless, of course, you happen to be Russian and randomly reading this blog)
USA!USA!USA!
That's a pretty awesome picture of your Mom!
Posted by: nicole | November 14, 2011 at 06:55 PM