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!