Dec. 30, 2008 will remain one of the most memorable days of my life. Our SGM put together a field trip to New York City for all members of the 314th. We were able to see the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, and the Broadway musical, Spamalot. Everyone in New York City was so nice and gave us the red carpet treatment all day. Everywhere we went, people were either stopping us to take pictures with us or giving us a round of applause. I think we actually got more attention than Britney Spears for a day. I learned that chivalry is not dead, at least not in New York City. One couple gave up their $250 front row Spamalot seats so that two of our Soldiers could sit down. Most of us had to stand during the show, but it was more than worth it. The temporary leg discomfort led to permanent, wonderful memories. After the show we went on stage to meet the cast of Spamalot. They were all very nice and thanked us for our service.

The day was also a little emotional for all of us. Visiting Ground Zero reminded me of the reason I put on this uniform every morning. I will always remember standing there with the other members of the 314th as we held an American flag in front of Ground Zero. Suddenly the sidewalk filled with people taking pictures with us and thanking us for our service.

Perhaps the highlight of my day was when I overheard a group of young girls talking on the street. As myself, and three other soldiers walked by, one girl turned to her mother and said, “I want to be just like them when I grow up.” It’s so flattering to hear that someone looks up to you for the good things you do these days. I know the 314th will probably never make the cover of People Magazine, but that’s ok. Being a soldier is often a thankless job but moments like these make it all worthwhile. We put our personal lives on hold only to deploy to countries that hate us for no other reason than the color of our skin and uniform we wear. Why do we do it? We do it to protect and give hope to people like we encountered in New York.

So thank you again SGM Falardeau! It was a blast!