My Hero

There is something you probably don't know about me, and that is that I am married to a real, live hero. Jim is a decorated combat veteran of the Gulf War. He courageously served his country with honors, and I am proud to know him. I think it is about time that I give him the recognition that he most definitely deserves, right here on my blog.
Jim served in the United States Army in Desert Storm in communications and ground combat. He has been rewarded with medals for his great leadership and the ability to cope effectively with things most of us would have trouble just hearing about. Some of his stories make me cringe, and for those of you who know me, know that that is hard to do.

Last night I was gazing up at his medals hanging on the wall. I decided to take them out of their case and clean everything up. I asked him to tell me about each one. He hesitated a bit, not knowing why I was asking, and also because he doesn't like to talk about it much. He gets embarrassed sometimes when people make a big deal out of it.

I love you, Jim. Thank you for what you did.

Starting at the top left, going from left to right:

1. Good Conduct Medal (self-explanatory.)
2. Purple Heart (For being wounded in combat, Jim was "gassed" with nerve gas from enemy forces.)
3. Bronze Star (For heroism, Jim fed starving Kuwaiti children and then ambushed men who came in to take it away.)
4. Army Commendation Medal (For good performance at a duty station.)
5. Army Achievement Medal (and I quote: "For saving everybody's ass on a field problem.")
6. Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Awarded to Jim by the Saudi Arabian Government.)
7. Humanitarian Service Medal (For Jim's unit's involvement in "Operation Provide Comfort".)
8. Southwest Asia Service Medal (Self-explanatory.)
9. National Defense Service Medal (Awarded for being in the military during a time of war.)
10. Another Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Awarded to Jim by the Kuwaiti Government.)