On Veterans Day, thank a serviceman or woman

Twice during my 30-year career as an officer in the Naval Reserve I was mobilized, and it was a tremendous boost to my morale to know that my family was in the good hands of our friends and neighbors. Over and over again we were surprised and heartened by the generosity of people in our community.

I first traded my business suit for camouflage in 2003, when I was sent to Iskenderun, Turkey, and then various ports in Europe in support of Military Sealift Command. In 2007, I was commanding officer of a Military Sealift Command unit in Syracuse that was activated and sent to Kuwait to provide logistical support for the military equipment destined for Iraq. The first tour was seven months, and the second lasted a year.

At the time of my first deployment, we had two boys in high school, one daughter in middle school and another in elementary school, and my wife didn’t work outside the home. (She and I were both born and raised in West Hempstead.)

When I received my orders, the word spread like wildfire. The calls started coming, and we got endless offers of support, prayers and thanks from so many people. Overseas, my days moved at hyper speed, but thanks to e-mail I was never out of touch with home, and got the stories of all the acts of kindness shown to my family: the neighbor who dropped off a casserole, the offers to take the kids to sport practices or games, the teacher checking in with my wife.

Once we established an Army Post Office address at our base, we started getting letters and packages from home — and from so many different groups. The Girl Scouts sent us cases of cookies. The American Legion sent candy and snacks. These were great supplements to our ready-to-eat meals.

One organization that has really stepped up from the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom is the USO. It has provided more direct support than any other group.

The relationship between the troops and their home communities is a two-way street. The communities support the families left with them, and the troops keep the folks back home updated on their experiences. My group in Kuwait published a monthly newsletter, News From The Sandbox, which gave our readers a window into our world. We kept it short on operational details but full of stories of the personal accomplishments of our unit. It also gave us a way to thank those who were supporting us.

If you’re looking for a meaningful way to celebrate Veterans Day, find out if anyone from your church or community is serving in the military and write them a letter or an e-mail to express your appreciation. Believe me, there’s nothing more satisfying than to hear directly from your neighbors that they appreciate your sacrifices.

If you want to go a little further and send something to the troops overseas, you can find many websites and organizations that can help you.

And if you know a local service member who is returning from an overseas deployment, make it a point to welcome them home. When I got home from my mobilizations, I was given heartfelt hero’s welcomes that still warm my heart each time I remember them.