In honor of Women's History Month

This was really a fun article for me to write. I enjoyed it so much. I am working on an article for next week about Women in today's military. I'll post after it's published!

-- Published in Fort Polk Guardian (March 31, 2006) --
By: MICHELLE LINDSEY, Guardian staff writer

For women, serving the country through military service has followed the same path as the right to vote. It has been hard and sometimes discouraging, but defeat was not an option.
The official history of women in the United States military begins with the establishment of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901. But this excludes the tens of thousands of women who have served in the military since this country’s founding.
These women identified and buried the dead and cared for sick and wounded troops. They helped supply food, clothing and ammunition to armies in the field. These women gathered intelligence, delivered messages and warned the troops of danger.
In the military, during the 18th and 19th centuries, women were allowed to draw half-rations for themselves and their children in exchange for cooking, sewing and laundry. The majority of these women were military dependents who accompanied their male relatives into service, often because they had no other option.
Even without the harshness of battlefield situations, the life of the female dependent was difficult. In the late 1870s, married Soldiers and their families lived year round in severe conditions.
At Fort Sill, Okla., families lived in tents and at Fort Dodge, Iowa, families lived in earthen caves near the riverbanks. At Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and other bases, enlisted families lived in the open until they were able to build or buy shelter.
Soldiers were provided with daily rations of food, but families were not, so wives were forced to work on post.
Women in the camps tended the sick and wounded, which was considered “women’s work.” The fearless image of the battlefield nurse is correct, but those depictions show only a fragment of the duties these women performed.
Before World War II, the United States, as well as many other countries, lost most of its army to sickness rather than battle. Diseases such as typhoid, influenza, malaria and yellow fever were frequent killers in military camps and battlefields. There was little medical knowledge of how to cure the sick or prevent illness. Military doctors were there to amputate mangled limbs and remove bullets. Care was left to women who often made the difference in a Soldier’s survival.
Women kept wounds clean and bathed and fed patients. They were also responsible for keeping the delirious and psychotic from injuring others, sometimes at the cost of injury to themselves.
Prior to World War I, enlistment in the military was simple, sometimes with only the need to complete a form. This allowed many women to join the military disguised as men. There is no way to know how many women served in the military with their genders undiscovered. Those caught were often sent home or arrested. A few were allowed to continue fighting.
Their courage and determination to gain equality in the military has been the foundation of today’s military woman.
The journey of females in the military has been a long one, and women play a vital role in today’s military service. They have gained the right to serve as officers and leaders of some of America’s finest heroes. Some women who have served in the military include:

–– Deborah Sampson Gannett adopted the name Robert Shurtliff in 1782 and enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment for a term of three years to help fight the Revolutionary War. She was 22 and the first woman known to enlist as a Soldier in the American Army. Gannett was wounded in her left thigh during the Battle of Tarrytown in New York. To keep her secret safe, she treated herself, but later developed a fever and was sent to a hospital where her gender was discovered by a doctor. He told no one, but requested a medical discharge for her. In 1792, Gannett made a request to the Massachusetts legislature for back pay that she was entitled to as a former Continental soldier in the Massachusetts Line. Her neighbor, Paul Revere, endorsed her request and the Massachusetts Assembly passed a resolution granting her 34 pounds bearing interest from the date of her discharge from the Continental Army as Pvt. Robert Shurtliff. John Hancock, president of the assembly, approved the resolution granting her the back pay.

–– Margaret Corbin and Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley: Both women fought with their husbands during the Revolutionary War. McCauley gained the nickname of “Molly Pitcher” in 1778 by carrying water to men on the battlefield at Monmouth, New Jersey. Corbin stood at a cannon beside her husband John and handled ammunition. When he was fatally wounded, she took his place at the cannon until wounded herself. McCauley also replaced her husband, Captain John Hays, when he collapsed at his cannon.

–– Clara Barton was known as the angel of the battlefield during the Civil War despite a lack of medical education. The outbreak of war resulted in waves of wounded Union Soldiers into Washington, D. C. Barton recognized the unpreparedness of the Army Medical Department and lobbied the bureaucracy to allow her to bring her own medical supplies to the battlefields. Finally, with the help of sympathetic U. S. Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, Barton was permitted to bring her supplies. She worked with exhausted doctors helping wounded Soldiers as the battle continued. History records that at one battlefield, as she knelt to give a man a drink, she felt her sleeve quiver. She looked down and noticed a bullet hole in her sleeve. The bullet that had nearly hit her killed the man she was helping, but she carried on. Barton later founded the American Red Cross in 1881.

–– Jacqueline Cochran: She was first introduced to aviation in the 1930s. She competed in aviation events for several years, earning top honors and setting records. When World War II began, Cochran traveled to England to observe how female pilots were helping the British war effort. She had been contemplating the idea of a fleet of women aviators who could fly military aircraft in support of general operations. The idea was to free up men so they could fight instead of dealing with such tasks as ferrying military planes and providing basic aerial training. Cochran got her wish in 1942. Army Air Force Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold asked her to organize the Women’s Flying Training Detachment to train women pilots to handle basic military flight support. The following year, Cochran received an appointment to lead the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs. The WASPs proved invaluable to the war effort. They transported planes overseas, tested various military aircraft, taught aerial navigation and provided target towing. Under Cochran’s leadership, the WASPs grew to well over 1,000 members.

–– Brig. Gen. Clara Adams Ender: In 1967 she became the first woman in the Army to receive the Expert Field Medical Badge. In 1976 she became the first nurse and first woman to be awarded the degree Master of Military Art and Science at the U.S. Army Command and Staff College. She was appointed Chief of the Nursing Corps in 1987.

The journey of women in America’s military history has been a long road filled with sacrifice and determination in the fight for equality and respect. Memorials throughout America, such as this display at the Houston Buffalo Soldier Museum, recognize their courage and service.

Craft Corner: Rough two weeks ...

Well it's been a rough couple of weeks for me. As some of you know, my husband's unit deployed to Afghanistan earlier this month and for us this is the first one. I have been driving myself crazy trying to keep busy and this is the first weekend that I have taken things slow and just lived for the minute. I took a two hour nap yesterday and LOVED it! I really should do more stuff just for me.

I enjoy the chacne to stay at home on work on schoolwork and crafts. Work can leave me very tired at times, but I always try to make time for some crafts because it is so calming for me.

I have been doing a little stitching and had the chance to go through my WIPs yesterday. Its something I am trying to do every quarter so I can see what I have left to do. I also have five projects in rotation, but have no real schedule as to how long I work on them or often I change them, just when the mode hits. So this is the list as of yesterday ...

To be stitched:
1. Army Seal (rotation)
2. Baby Stangle frame (rotation)
3. Mom's Easter Bunny (rotation)
4. Patriotic Ribbon-small (rotation)
5. Monthly Christmas Ornamnet SAL (rotation)
6. Nativity Scene
7. Tea Cup and Saucer
8. Christmas Angel
9. Humpty Dumpty Bib
10. Patriotic Ribbon-large
11. Plastic Canvas Santa
12. Roly Poly Santas (5)
13. Daisy Tabletopper
14. Satined Glass Name
15. Red Heart with Bead Ornaments (6)
16. Rose Blocks
17. Vicotrian Shelf
18. China Cabinet Teaddy Bear
19. Welcome Dollie
20. Love, Honor, Cherish Centerpeices

Stitched-needing to be finished:
1. This is my Beloved Pillow
2. Christmas Wreath Pillow
3. Four Heart Ormanent

As you can see I have more than enough to keep me busy. Not to mention a fulltime job and going to school for my master's.

Two weeks and counting

It's been two weeks and it seems like a lifetime. I don't know how I'm going to do a year.

I got another email from George today, that makes four or five I think. He says thing are running smoothly, but he hates being away. He said that he is working long days and gets only a couple hours of sleep and of course that worries me because he has a tendency to push himself harder than he should.

He finally got his first package today, apparently it'll take one to three weeks for them to get mail. I have others ready and waiting to go, I just wanted to make sure he got it.

My father-in-law called yesterday and said he is going to get George a digital camera so he can send us pictures and I think that will make it easier. We'll at least have pictures of him.

Sgt. Major is calming down, although he is on attack mode at every sound. He's been cooped up for the past 11 days because the housing people are building new fences in the neighborhood, so the dog door has been locked while I was at work. I'll have to post a pic when they finally finish them, but don't hold your breath.

I'm trying to get schoolwork caught up and started going to a weight-support group with a few other spouses from the brigade. I figured now is the perfect time to start working towards my goals and it'll give me time to learn how to control my nibbling (which it the biggest problem). I am pretty good at eating healthy meals, but those in-between snacks are killing me. I also have more allowances with my schedule for working out instead of needing to check with George for possible plans.

Well I guess that's it for now, back to the homework!

Craft Corner: Got it back!

I got my small stich project done by Chris back from the framers and LOVE it! For now it will sit on the glass table with my tea set, but now I am inspired to do other tea cup/set projects, so I'll keep you posted!

Craft Corner: Secret Sister sends stash!

Well a few weeks ago I ranted about signing up for a secret sister exchange. I had signed up and faithfully send my packages and even whenvthe second one got lost in the mail I took the time to fill out the paperwork on a lost package and offering to send a replacement package.

Through the entire three month time, my secret sister sent me nothing, but according to the coordinator had no problem receiving hers. Well her secret sister, understanding that it wasn't fair, sent me a package instead of her for the last month. I received it yesterday and opened it to find ...

1. Angel Heart Sampler chart, by Alma Lynne's Provate Collection
2. Cross Stitcher kit, by Lisa Coleman
3. Jaylynn pkg of 36 varigated threads
4. 18 ct. linen-Wild Raspberry (looks like eggplant color-very pretty!)
5. Janlynn's Just-s-Chart, Four Seasons Chairs
6. Sweet Nothings "A Single Rose" Chart, JBW Designs
7. Sweet Nothings "Cherries" Chart, JBW Designs
8. Just Nan, "Buttlerfly Lace" Chart

Thank you secret sister. It is beautiful stuff and I can't wait to get started.

I am a little hesitant to do the secret sister again, but we'll see...

Staying strong

Well the time has come. George left a week ago and has safely arrived at their location. I have received a few calls from him as well as email and he says while they are settling in fine, there is a lot of work to do as they take over for a departing unit. Hopefully, the time will pass fast for both of us.
I think for him the jet lag is finally starting to subside and they are working hard over there to get things in order.
While I miss him terribly, I know the key is to stay busy, I will move to working on my master's full time and hopefully graduate after his return.
I think Sgt. Major (our English bulldog puppy who is no longer the size of a puppy) took it the hardest. He spent a few days sitting by the door waiting for George to come home. He spends every moment with me under my feet, so if we get through this without me breaking a limb, it'll be good. Those short dogs are good at tripping you up.
For the most part we are taking it one day at a time, but please keep him in your prayers.

Random pictures of our baby!

Sometimes you just gotta smell the freshly washed bed!

Craft Corner: Our dear husbands

Sometimes we complain about our husband's hobbies and lack of understanding for ours. I'm usually right there with you... my husband has bought a motorcycle, golf clubs, guitar and lesson software for computer, XBox and mp3 player in the last year and a half, but often gets antsy when we go to a craft section of WalMart opting to "hangout" in electronics instead! The motorcycle payment alone triples my monthly spending for crafts, but then ... a surprise.

He left for Afghanistan recently and the Tuesday before we were sitting down working on the budget so we could buy my much dreamed of Chevy Tahoe (oh the stash it will carry) when he returns. His math and mine didn't added up being off by $100. What was I missing on mine, I asked him ... he had alotted me a "stash fund" to keep me busy while he was gone.

That's why I married him, because he is always surprising me!

Farewell my love and safe return ...

March 9, 2006
Well the day has come that we have been preparing for and I wish I could say I am ready, but I hope to never get to the point where this day is not an emotional one. The day came early as the alarm pierced through my sleep at 3:30 a.m. We had gine to bed a little after 11 p.m. and I admit I cannot function with fours hours of sleep. "Hit the snooze," George said as he rolled over and put his arm around me.
As we drifted back into sleep his cell phone rang, "... and it begins," he said groggily as we got up to face the day. Fifteen minutes later we were in my truck headed for the battalion headquaters.

George is an officer in the S-3 shop and was made Unit Movement Officer for the deployment, a job that left him at work long after many of the others have gone home, so we had to make the most of our time together, but I understand.

The Soldiers of the S-3 shop had to be there earlier than the rest this morning because they had to get their stuff in order before moving out more than 500 Soldiers. As the bags and spouses were left in the office it was quickly becoming a reality that our husbands were leaving.

We sat there together watching the organized chaos of it all and helped load the baggage in the van to be moved to Cantrell Gym where the Soldiers and baggage were loaded on trucks and busses for the hour-long to the airport.

After nearly two hours and sitting about trying not to think about saying goodbye, we all walked to the gym parking lot (about 6:30 a.m.)to meet up with our husbands who had been organizing the first group of Soldiers to leave.

I didn't get to see much of George as he was in constant motion, so I sat there "guarding" his carry-on stuff and willing myself to be strong. I knew if I The time went by fast and soon it was time to say goodbye. We stood there holding each other as the busses began to load up. I was proud that I was able to get through it without crying, but knew that when I got home from work, an empty house would make the reality of it all sink in.

I have to say, the hardest part for me was coming home and seeing his truck in the driveway as I turned the corner. I took a minute for me to realize he's not here and the excited flutter in my heart dropped to sadness.

I met some of the other spouses for a quick dinner and came home to find the answer machine blinking. I burst into tears as I heard, "Hey, baby! I guess you're out ..." I called my mom complete hysterical. It took her a while to calm me down and tell her what was wrong. "I don't think I can do this!" I cried, suddenly realizing how long a year would be.

"You can't put everything on hold for fear that you'll miss his call," said my friend Angie when I called her to tell her what happened. I know she felt bad because she had insisted that I go to dinner with them. And she was right. At least my husband called, her's didn't and he left earlier than George, but she's used to him calling days afterwards. Although this is their first deployment in 7-plus years of marraige, she is used to him being gone when he worked with the training unit here.

So I went to bed and fell asleep with tears in my eyes and a 60 pound Bulldog spread across my lap ... really he is getting too big for that, but I'll work on it later.

March 10, 2006
Today is no easier than yesterday, but I'm o.k. George called again last night or should I say this morning at 12:59 a.m. so I got the chance to talk to him briefly. He said that they were at a stop over and only had a few minutes, but wanted to check in. I admit, it was great to hear his voice. He called again at 10:38 p.m.and we had a chance to talk for about 15 minutes. The time difference will take some getting used to.




Editor's note: As you may understand this post was hard for me to write and while I started it on March 9, 2006, it has taken me a few days to complete and post.

Polk families run together, have fun together

When I first began working on this article I wanted to investigate why people would willing put themselves through hours of training to run a 26.2 mile marathon, but as my research began I learned more about how families in our community treasure the time they spend together as a family. Hopefully, I will get the chance to learn more about Fort Polk's unique family activites.

-- Published in Fort Polk Guardian (March 3, 2006) --
By: MICHELLE LINDSEY, Guardian staff writer


“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The words of 5th century B.C. Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu are brought to life –– literally –– by two Fort Polk families.
Maj. Ralph Paredes, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, said he has always been athletic. When he and a few friends challenged each other to run the 1998 Seattle, Wash., marathon, a new hobby was born. “It wasn’t supposed to be a marathon,” Paredes recalled, “it was supposed to be a half marathon, but it got competitive.”
Paredes ran untrained in 3:53 and admits that he both walked and ran. “Anybody can finish a marathon by walking and running, but I think the hardest thing is to be disciplined enough to go through the training program. You have to commit yourself. It is a lot of work. If you want to do well, it takes dedication and time,” he said.
Parades said that preparing for a marathon with daily training requires sacrifice. Runners cannot just get up, run a few miles and be finished. Eating properly, stretching, warming-up, running and cooling down are the steps to train for long-distance running. “It can easily take up to half of your Saturday,” Paredes said.
“(The time required) is the hardest thing,” his wife Kathy said, but added that it is time they can spend together. She is new to marathons compared to her husband.
“My first was the Dallas marathon in December, 2004,” she said. “I had not run a marathon before meeting Ralph. I just ran little stuff, more social than competitive.”
“(For the Dallas marathon) I got on a training plan and ran six days a week. Ralph was with me on the weekend runs. We awoke at 5 a.m., ate, ran for two to three hours, then came home and ate again. By then it was 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon and all we had done was train, but it was great for us because we spent time together,” Kathy said.
“We talked so much on those runs. It was a great experience. I’m not sure if I would have done it without him.”
“I think it’s the other way around,” Paredes said. “She would say ‘I’m going for a run,’ and sometimes I would rather sleep in or just grab a cup of coffee, but she was focused and that motivated me to get up and run.”
Running brought them together even before the 2004 marathon.
“We knew each other before and lost touch over the years. I sent a Christmas card to his parents’ house after September 11, 2001, with my phone number and e-mail address and he contacted me. We started to e-mail each other and decided to do a race together at Central Park ( New York),” Kathy said. “We met at the corner of 5th and 72nd streets.” Paredes later proposed to Kathy on a run.
“We spend a lot of time together going over training plans and talking about goals. He has more experience so I rely on him to give me advice or (answer questions),” said Kathy.
Both say that running has given them more time together and it’s become a treasured activity to share.
“We plan holidays so we can run. On our honeymoon we stayed at a hotel that was near a beach that had a good running trail. We knew we would want to run,” said Kathy.
Running has also taken them to places like Hawaii, Alaska and Canada.
“Running lets you see things you would not otherwise see,” Kathy said adding that when they were in the Bahamas they were able to see the early morning fishermen pulling in the day’s catch.
For another Fort Polk family, running became a family affair.
Lt. Col. Greg Solem, Joint Readiness Training Center Operations Group, and his wife, Helen, began long-distance running as a personal challenge.
Solem began running for military activities and ran his first Army Ten-Miler in 1998. One year later Helen participated in the Army Ten-Miler. Their next step was to run the Richmond, Va. marathon in November 2000.
“I started running because of the military, but I first got interested in marathons when I did the Army Ten-Miler,” said Solem. “It was an aspiration of mine to do a marathon (as the next step).”
Helen said that she had always been athletic and was once an aerobics instructor, leading to her decision to run the Army Ten-Miler.
“I really became interested in running while preparing for the Richmond marathon. It evolved from there and went from running a little bit to a total of seven marathons to date,” Helen said.
“Being able to run the Richmond marathon was great,” said Solem and it became a family activity when their four oldest children joined in.
Helen said that Jake, Hannah, Ben and Joe have been home schooled since 1999. Walking a mile daily was part of their physical education program.
The children took it to the next level.
“They started by walking and then progressed to running, first a mile, then more. Now we’ve been running races together since spring, 2000,” she said.
Jake, 15, ran his first race in 2000 and has participated in 21 to date along with 13-year-old Hannah. Not to be left behind, Ben, 11, has run in 20 races and Joe, 9, has run 17. Even 21-month-old Zachary sometimes rides along in his stroller, pushed by a family member.
For the Solems the best part of running is the encouragement they receive from each other.
“Running is an activity that we can do as a family no matter where the Army sends us,” said Solem. “The best part is the encouragement (the kids) give each other.” The kids disagree. When asked who their biggest supporter is their five voices called out in unison, “Dad.”
“When he’s there at a race it is the greatest joy,” said Helen.
At the 2005 Fort Polk Turkey Trot, Solem was busy with a training exercise as his family warmed up at Honor Field.
“Two minutes before the run he showed up,” said Helen. “Dad’s always there to support us,” added Ben.
“I was able to pull out of the field for about an hour to watch the race and be at the finish line,” Solem said.
Jake said his father’s support contributed to his first-place win at the Turkey Trot.
The family agrees that running provides confidence, discipline and a chance to meet goals in athletics and daily life.
Saturday morning the family gets together for a run at a nearby track. “It’s not necessarily about being in shape or having a rigid diet. It’s about having fun,” said Solem, “Afterwards we like to get donuts.”
For both the Paredes and the Solems, it’s not so much its competitive nature that makes running fun, but rather the fact they have found something that they can do as a family.
“Some people spend an hour watching TV, but this is what we like to do,” said Helen.
“It is part of our life but it doesn’t take over our lives,” Hannah added.
“It’s about finding an activity that you can do as a family, and for us this is it,” said Helen. “... and it all started with a walk.”

To see what else is happening read the Fort Polk Guardian online

Craft Corner: Great S. E. X.!

As I previous wrote, last Friday I had the chance to check out an my newly discovered LNS. I stopped by again today to drop off a project for framing and picked up a few more things.

In a recent trade, I discovered specialty threads, specifically Weeks Dye Works. There was also a plethora of patterns and specialty fabrics such as afghans and towels. So after a total of nearly two hours of exploring for the two days, this is what I got ...

1. Bent Creek, Glory
2. Amaryllis Artworks, Pineapple Welcome by Denise Harrington Pratt
3. Lizzie Kate Snippet #S31, Summer ABC's
4. Lizzie Kate Snippet #S50, Dear Santa, We've Got Cookies
5. Lizzie Kate Flippit #F14, St. Patrick's Day
6. Lizzie Kate Flippit #F23, April Blocks
7. Heart in Hand Needleart, Little Angel in the Clouds
8. Weeks Dye Works, (2276) Camelia
9. Weeks Dye Works, (2339) Blue Bonnet

I also got some stuff for my Secret Sister and a fellow stitcher for a trade but sent the packages before photographing them. Well I guess I'll go. I want to get back to drooling over my new stash.

Craft Corner: All the tea in China can't compare ...

Here it is! I participated in my first stitch and swap where you stitch a project for someone else while the same is being done for you. As you can see a few posts back, I am feverishly working on mine send out, but Chris has finished the one for me and I received it this weekend! That's right, the same Chris who found the Jeremiah pattern ... she is quickly becoming one of my favorite people.

Anyway, I was so excited when I opened it. She said in her note that she couldn't find a pick one, but I LOVE THIS ONE! It has corals and peach in it and orange is a close second to pink in my book so ... well done! It will match nicely in my kitchen with my other tea cup/sets.

I hope to get a chance to take it to the frame shop tomorrow and will post when I bring it home. I am very excited to see what the finished product will look like and in the meantime, I will get the fabric count, magazine information and other tidbits to post when I get it framed.

Until then, I'd better get busy finishing mine so I can send it out on time! I'll keep you posted!

Craft Corner: Exploration of the unknown

Elated, overwhelmed, envious ... that was my experience as for the first time ever I explored a needlework Shop. My mom owns a quilting supply manufacturing company and I spent the last few years browsing quilt shops looking through the needlework "corner" but I never questioned if there was a haven for needlework. Until recently I hid my stitching obsession because my husband and friends classified it as a "grandma" hobby. Then I stumbled upon Yahoo Cross Stitch groups and my eyes were opened up to a whole new world. Men, women, young and old were obsessed with the craft. I learned so much ... Specialty threads, variations of fabrics, entire designer collections ... I had misses this for the past 23 years. Why had no one told me.
I discovered the LNS almost the same way. I was called into the office of a co-worker who had stitching on his walls - conversation ensued and I found out that his wife was a stitcher - her work was so inspiring. Fairy with beaded accents and colored frames were amazing.
He gave me the name of directions of a local LNS a few weeks ago, but was unable to visit until yesterday. It was 2 mere miles from our veterinarian's office. How could I have been here for 22 months and not discovered this treasure.
As I walked in I was amazed. I have grown away from "country" and into the whimsical, patriotic and Victorian styles, but was having difficulty finding pattern. But there they were from Americana to Victorian, breadcovers to afghans. Again, why had no one told me.
I pulled out my list, because as a attentive stitcher, I had to first get for my exchanges and Secret Sister before I could go completely insane with picking stuff for me.
Specialty threads ... where have I been, I only recently finished my first small beaded project, but this was a whole new world ... GAST, WDW, SSS, silks ... amazing.
As I reined myself in and paid for my purchases, I knew what my mission was. Although future husbands will cry at the money they will lose to the craft, I knew I had to pass it on the the next, innocent generation. If more young girls knew of this, think of all the teen pregnancies and drug overdoses we could prevent. We own it to the future of America's youth ... so to my dear brother I will apologize now because when Stephanie, Victoria and Tami come to visit, there will be no stopping us and may God give you strength and patience when they return and find that their stash is running low!