Hi, tomorow is Veteran's Day; I will be wearing my uniform to work, and perhaps going to Applebee's for lunch (we get to eat free/veterans).

There is documentary on PBS regarding (my great home State of Maine): Film about the Troop Greeters at the Bangor airport. They are 3 seniors who are on call 24/7 and have helped to greet over 900,000 soldiers in transit to or from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The film has won multiple awards both national and internationally and spectaculr reviews around the globe.

"Hardened soldiers' eyes mist over at the receiption in Bangor; yours will too in this sweet little film."

Love from Sargeant Borgen (E-5) at age 19, Women's Army Corps (WAC) from 1964-1967....discharged on my 21st birthday from Oakland, California

My peeps!

From one veteran to another, Alice. Happy Veterans Day to you and thank you for serving our great country!!! God bless you, darlin'.

Wishing all of you peace, love and gratitude on Veteran's Day. Thanks for serving our great USA!

(Thank you Dotsie!)

Dee (darlin'), when and where did you serve? Army, Navy, etc.?

I was stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco (now a National Park, it just doesn't seem right!!)

God Bless you too, sweetie!

Hugs and 're up?!

Happy Veterans Day to you Alice and Dee. Were'nt Mustang and Vicky M Taylor also in the Armed Forces?

Alice, are you going to be in any parade this year?

Hip, hip, hoorah for our resident veterans and please accept our deep appreciation for your service to your country. BRAVO!!!

I can almost picture Alice marching in full dress uniform and high heels...

I was in the Air Force...stationed at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, Travis AFB, California, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, RAF Upper Heyford, United Kingdom I reached the rank of E-6 (SSgt) and sometimes wish I'd stayed in but I got out and went civil service...continued working with the military doing the same job but in a civilian capacity.

Do our female veterans know about the Women's Memorial in Washington D.C.? I joined last year...they put a photo of you and a small story about your fondest memory while in the service...your medals, where you were stationed, time in service, etc. If you're a veteran and you haven't joined, by all means do so...it will give your family and friends down the line a chance to look you up in the Women's memorial when they visit.
you can go to: www.womensmemorial.org
www.womensmemorialstore.com
hq@womensmemorial.org

Hey, Dee: I went to the Dedication of the Women's Memorial; it was the most powerful experience of my life....I think it is my favorite chapter in my memoir. My fondest memory was of a woman Colonel; she took me under her wing; I think I was the child she never had (she was 53 and I 18)....she retired and promised to come back and we would visit. She died while away of a stroke; I sobbed for a year....Oh, on to my fondest memory. It was raining one day, and I had no raincoat....she took the eagles from her coat and simply handed it to me.

(For you civilians, this is just not done.....not supposed to fraternize.....officers and non-commissioned officers...of which I was)....that told me everything I needed to know about her.

I finally got her information from the army (took forever, as you know), and what I found out about her staggered me.

She had 8 medals (1 for the Berlin airlift), she was studying for her PHD in 1942.....she was in charge of Procurement (decided what the women would wear), etc, etc.....

I went to the Presidio of San Francisco Cemetery 40 years later. To my shock and amazement, I broke down sobbing; I guess i didn't realize what an impact she had on me.

Next to her grave, was her husband's (she didn't get married until she was in her 40's), and next to her husband's name it said: "HUSBAND of Lt. Colonel Helen Hart Corthay." I'd never seen a grave stone like that before. I left a yellow rose.

Hugs, Alice (Sargeant Borgen)

I will be marching (high heels and all) in the Christmas parade; I have become something of a legend (because of the high heels)....LOL, it is so much fun to see people's faces and then they point and holler at me.

Alice...that is the most heartwarming story...I'm so glad you shared it with us...and you're right...officers did not mix with enlisted...it's wonderful that you and she became friends...she sounds like a wonderful woman. I'm sure she's looking down from heaven and is very proud of you. I'll be thinking of you in your parage...bless you heart.
We veterans ought to post some photos of us in our military days...I have a few...that would be so cool...wanna do that?
I'll have to scan some but will see if Edelweiss would be kind enough to post them for me. I'd love to see you in your military days AND in the parade tomorrow.
Take care Alice and have a wonderful Veterans day.

Hi, Dee: You are such a sweetie! i am so non-technie, but will scan few of my military dayz pictures. I would like to think that Colonel Corthay is looking down from Heaven and saying: "I am so proud of you." She was an amazing woman....before her time.

Tonight on PBS at 9 pm there is a documentary (I hope you see it); It is called "The Way we Get By"; it is about the people of Maine (senior citizens) who are on call 24.7 and go and greet troops leaving from the Bangor (Maine) airport; they have been there for over 900,000 soldiers. It gives me chills as I write this.

"Hardened soldiers' eyes mist over at their reception in Bangor."

(My next parade is at Christmas; we don't have a veteran's parade.

Hugs, Alice (formerly Sargeant Borgen at age 19)

I so enjoy hearing your stories. Please continue to share.

I wasn't awre of that memorial. Thanks for informing me.

Bless you today and forever for serving on our behlf. What a courageous thing to do.

I have a childhood friend who joined the Army immediately after high school. I recall the early morning the car came to pick her up and scoop her off. Mom, two of my sisters and I were at the front door waving and teary eyed, and stunned by her courage.

She now has a daughter serving in Iraq, and another daughter who went through boot camp this past summer, is finishing her senior year of high school, and will leave this summer.

My friend shared that if she hadn't had her two daughters to care for, she would have re-enlisted when her eldest daughter enlisted. She loved serving her country. She's now a nurse. I admire her so!

Thanks for sharing your touching story, Alice. I put my own "Vet Kudos" over at "Current Events" earlier....


I certainly will watch that PBS documentary tonight. (with a big box of Kleenex)

(((Josie)))...thankyou, sweetie.

Thank you, ((Dotsie))): I would go back into the army in a heartbeat (although I would want to be a WAC, and they decomissioned us 20 years ago; I believe a HUGE mistake)......

I ate free at Applebee's yesterday (because of being a veteran); Chatty said that my army story was her favorite....when she editied my memoir. Smartest decision I ever made.

Yes, the Dedication of the Women's Memorial was the most moving experience I ever had (and will ever have, I am sure); imagine 67,000 women veterans marching across the Lincoln Memorial Bridge at night holding candles and planes flying overhead (piloted by women); people applauding along the way, saying thankyou.

Most of the veterans were WWII,and so this was the first time in history women had been recognized; some were in wheelchairs, oxygen, knowing that this was the FIRST and probably LAST time they would be with their contemporaries.

I went on a mission to find my friends so they could attend, and I did; I showed up surprising an army friend at her house in Boston, and we took the train to D.C.

3 amazing days. Tipper Gore spoke, Connie Stevens, Loretta Swit, etc., etc....the dinner was in a hanger......unbelievable; china,silverware, flowers, wine,silver keychains for everyone and at the end the piece de resistence. I wrote to the Secretary of Defense (he was from Maine--William Cohen) and got a personal hand-written letter, and a promise of a tour of the White House.

100's of servers marching in with cakes covered with sparklers and the lights turned off.

it is all in my memoir: Ghost Child to Triumph (from a child with no voice, to someone who speaks up against injustice).

xoxo, Alice/Former Sargeant Borgen at age 19

How thrilling. If you haven't gotten that tour, let me know when you'll be in DC again and I'll meet you there for lunch or dinner. I'd love to.

It's true, Alices book is amazing but the story when she was in the service of our country was in my estimation the BEST!!! This would be a great book for the BWS book club to read when it's
published...

Dotsie: That would be lovely! THere is a data base at the memorial with all of the veteran's pictures and stories. I sent the information in for my dear friend, Colonel Corthay. I tried contactng members of her family, but couldn't find anyone. I even put a story in her hometown newspaper.

Thankyou, (((Chatty)))!

Hi Alice...how sweet that you sent in your friends information for her. That is so nice of you. I met a man yesterday in Gulfport MS at a garage sale (his home) and recognized his face but not his name. He and his wife were at RAF Mildenahall at the same time as me and talk about a small world. We talked about being overseas and how good the military was to us and how much fun being overseas was at that time. Amazing!