I joined the VFW because of my hero, my dad.  He survived the Battle of Iwo Jima, and when I saw Iwo Jima in the center of the wall, I felt like I belonged to the VFW. I became a lifetime member.

My life was unique because I am a Baby Boomer.  My mother was from Spain.  My dad met her when he was a young Marine stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and she lived in Santiago several miles away.  They loved each other at first sight.  When war broke out in the Pacific and he had to leave, they stayed in touch and eventually married while Dad was in the hospital recovering from his Iwo Jima wounds.  Mom graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Education.  Dad became a civilian after 5 years of serving.  Eventually my older brother was born, followed by me two years later.  We moved to Miami for about two years and then to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for eight years.  Then we moved to the Panama, Canal Zone, for two years when my younger brother was born. My dad then was the Ground Safety Officer at Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base in Oklahoma for two years.  Then he was an engineer with OSHA and we moved to Maryland for the rest of my parents' lives.  Mom was a Spanish and French teacher at Northwood High School in Silver Spring for 25 years.

I graduated from High School, locally, excelling in English and shorthand.  My first daughter was born on Okinawa and when she was about 5 years old I started going to college just to learn things.  Ten years later I got my Associate of Arts Degree with a concentration in history and Spanish.  It took 20 more years to get my BA in Communication.  I am a writer.  When I lived in Florida before moving back to Maryland, I was a high school English teacher.  I now work part time at a local, well known, Learning Center.

I wrote a book about my dad with my dad the last 6 months of his life.  He was able to see it on the computer, but he never saw it published.  It came out four days after he died.  I buried him in Arlington with the first copy of his book.  I was inspired to write a follow-up book with his inspiration.  He saw and liked the first chapter.  

I served as Chaplain for the Auxiliary for three years and I was recently elected as President.

I will do my best and hope we can recruit some more active members.