Happy Memorial Day

before we light the bbq

or head to the beach

let us honor
our fallen american
servicemembers.

please indulge me
as i post
the most recent history paper
my 7th grade daughter
just turned in.

The American Dream

The American dream. What is it? The American dream is protecting your country. It’s having pride and faith in it. The American dream is working hard no matter how much blood, sweat, and tears you go through. But most of all, the American dream is the military. Without them what would we be?

My family is full of military veterans each with great stories inspiring the American dream. They have seen and gone through most, none could imagine: Hardships, triumphs, victories and losses.

“A date which will live in infamy”, said by President Franklin D Roosevelt on December 7^th, 1941. This was the tragic day Japan surprised us with a sudden military strike on our ships docked in Pearl Harbor. This day was impacted on my grandfather’s life forever. In his “whites” (white uniform) my great grandpa, George H Doolittle, heard the familiar sirens but thought it was just an air raid. He soon figured out the Japanese were attacking. He did what he was trained to do. He saved lives and helped the injured from the water.

April 19, 1972 at the Gulf of Tonkin, in South Vietnam held a vigorous battle against the North Vietnamese. It was called the Battle of Dong Hoi. My grandpa, Edward Brookes, fought in this battle on the USS Oklahoma City. Out of four ships one ship, the USS Higbee, was hit, leaving 11 casualties and ultimately, a victory for the US. This battle proves the American dream was still alive.

Days before the September 11 attacks occurred, Mary Sobray (a dear family friend and veteran naval officer) relocated from her Naval Intelligence post at the pentagon. September 11, 2001 her entire work section was hit, instantly killing her trusted work partners and friends. This event made not only Mary stronger but the entire United States Military.

The war in Afghanistan has been going on since October, 2001. My dad, Captain Michael Brookes, has had his part in it. After al-Qaeda's hit, one month later American troops invaded. Thousands of men and women, including my dad, were sent to the north Arabian Sea on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. Off the carrier, pilots were sent on a mission known as Operation Enduring Freedom. My dad provided intelligence support to the aircrew. Determined and ready they proved the American Dream is alive and well in the military.

The American dream is the service members coming back from the attack on Pearl Harbor or winning a battle against North Vietnamese with one ship down. The American dream is coming back from a loss and still helping to fix problems in the world. It’s invading and tracking down the man who caused such great loss for America. The American Dream is the United States military.