Raise a Glass

 Tonight the annual military ball will be held at the Connecticut Street Armory. It has been in the past a chance for this soldier to don his dress uniform and escort his beautiful wife to an evening of fine food and laughs with our military family. Tonight I will not be able to, for I am a member of the 2-101 Calvary and currently deployed in Afghanistan.

 This does not mean the Cav will be unrepresented. Within your ranks tonight will be the true heroes of the 2-101 Cav, our wives. These wives know, as does anyone who has served, that “families are deployed, not soldiers.” With my oath to serve this nation come the sacrifices shared by my whole family.

My wife, Patti, will tonight take on the added responsibility of representing my unit and me. Even thought I know Patti will have a wonderful time with our friends, all these wives wish their soldiers were with them tonight for just one dance. 

 

 I ask of those at the military ball tonight to look for the table with no one in uniform. A table surrounded by beautiful women with pictures of their loved ones on it, and to raise a glass with them and celebrate life, for we know how precious life is.

    Enjoy Ladies, we are with you in spirit and you are always in our thoughts.

 

-- 1SG Patrick Treverton HHT 2-101Cavalry

Comments

[sue]

i would like to say thank you to all our men and women overseas for protecting our freedom. may god bless all of you and bring all of you home soon. prayers go out to everyone of you. i have a frined named walt from niagara falls, serving in afghanistan to. my heart goes out to the kids over there.hopefully someone can help them. they desereve a better life to.

[sue]

i would like to say thank you to all our men and women overseas for protecting our freedom. may god bless all of you and bring all of you home soon. prayers go out to everyone of you. i have a frined named walt from niagara falls, serving in afghanistan to. my heart goes out to the kids over there.hopefully someone can help them. they desereve a better life to.

[Patti Treverton FRG 2/101 CAV HHT]

I am Patti Treverton, the wife of 1Sgt Patrick Treverton the author of this blog and am saddened that "nothing but the truth" felt the need to turn what was a beautiful sentiment and a tribute on the part of the wives of the 2/101 CAV into a pathetic political statement.
My children, the "next generation" you speak of have already paid for this war and I don't mean in dollars but in lost time with their beloved father, missed swim meets and ballet recitals and lost birthdays they can never get back. A beautiful and courageous wife I sat with at the Military Ball has paid dearly in the loss of her brother-in-law in Iraq, and now waits for her husband to return safely from Afghanistan. Over three thousand people paid with the loss of their lives when a terroist group calling themselves Al-Queda brought their "Holy War" to our soil September 11, 2001. The country of Afghanistan still struggles to rebuild after their war with Russia and is in need of help. But people such as yourself have short memories and use blogs like this to exercise your freedom of speech that you take for granted and consider "your right" but wouldn't dream of putting on a uniform and fighting for, The men and women of the Armed Forces today are in every sense of the word "Heroes". They run AT danger and flying bullets and mortar rounds not away from them. Could you do that? So unless you are currently standing in a uniform waiting for the next chalk to to take you 10,000 miles away from your loved ones, I suggest you stop embarassing yourself. And the next time you see a member of the Armed Forces, a "Hero", try thanking them for all the freedoms you so effortlessly enjoy instead of blaming them.

[Maryann Waters, FRG 2/101 CAV HHT]

QUOTE:
"The real heroes are the future generations who will pay off the debt for the wars in the middle east."

So...please clarify...you mean to tell me that our men and women that are there fighting NOW are not the heroes...and those at home waiting are not heroic for all they go through each day wondering and waiting...but yet you feel the future generations that BENEFIT from what our soldiers are doing NOW are the heroes?

Wow...now there is certainly a profound statement to live by...and educated one at best. Maybe we could say people in our future WILL pay for what is going on now, we also pay now...but that DOES NOT make someone a hero...a fail to see your point in regards to heroism.

[Kimberly Wiechec, 2/101 CAV HHT wife]

To: Nothing But the Truth
I smell something more than the "truth" coming from you. The cost was not the missed party, it is the high price that the heroes in uniform and the ones who stand at home and wait pay everyday. A hero is the man/woman who can smile at comments such as yours and feel a sense of pride because they know in their hearts that they fight to provide that freedom to you. You have your absolute right to your opinion and I don't begrudge you that, but don't ever diminish what those heroes are doing everyday, for you, for me and for a country that needs their help. They don't want to be away from their families anymore than you would want to be away from yours. My husband IS a HERO and I can name a lot more including their wives/children and loved ones. You offend all of us when you say they aren't the real heroes and since I can't read your post and smile because my husband is fighting for your right to do so, by my own standards I could not be considered a hero today, but I will defend those that I know are and will continue to be in the future as well.

[Nothing But The Truth]

The real heros are the future generations who will pay off the debt for the wars in the middle east. They will do it living in a world with fewer services and educational resources, and a weaker dollar. The immediate costs of the war missed parties and service men and women placed in harms way. The real costs will come as the bills become due.

[Maryann Waters, FRG 2/101 CAV HHT]

Patrick -

As I missed the man I married on my arm last night at the ball...I also missed the other soldiers that I have had the honor to call friend...such as yourself.

We indeed had a lovely evening. We laughed, we cried, we danced (without our soldiers), many came to our table and toasted a glass to us...though it was a wonderful night, I look forward to next year...when we can ALL be together at that table and raise a glass together.

Thank you to you and Patti for the wonderful gift. I loved having Bobby's picture in front of my with his CAV hat.

Patti and I have new wine glasses from the ball for when we get together...until your return.