RMS March Update: From Coast-to-Coast, the mission stays the same…never forget who puts it all on the line, all the time.
Message from Remember My Service President, Sharlene Hawkes
This past month has been especially packed with travel to both Coasts—first out to Northern CA where I had the opportunity to meet with the 63rd RSC and learn more about their new HQ that will be opened in a few months…and then the great team over at the Naval Post-Graduate School (wow, what a beautiful, classic facility!). Then a few days in Washington DC where despite all the headline-grabbing controversial political posturing on health care, or any other hotly debated bill, so many people work tirelessly behind the scenes to fight for what’s best for our men and women in uniform and their families: BG Sutton and her team at the Defense Centers of Excellence, the USO, MG Bob Kasulke over the USAR Medical Command as they provide 70% of the med support to the war effort, the American Red Cross, TAPS, Glenn Welling and the Yellow Ribbon program, Kristy Kaufmann as a powerful military family advocate, CSM John Gipe passionately representing all the Enlisted Reservists in the Office of the Sec. of Defense, COL David Sutherland with JCS and his particular focus on the wounded warriors, Jim Fisher at the WWII Memorial..and that’s where I’ll stop to take a breath. After 3 days of productive activity and discussion, we (Elayne Harmer, part of our RMS team, and I) stopped to visit with Jim at the Memorial and walk around a bit. When he learned that my Uncle Roy was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and that I have 2 other living Uncles who also served in WWII, he gave our family a huge honor to remember the sacrifice of so many, so long ago. He invited Uncle Roy (Navy), together with Uncle Ken (Air Corp) and Uncle Stan (Navy), to lay the wreath at the Memorial on Pearl Harbor Day this year, along with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. You can imagine how meaningful it was for me to talk with Uncle Roy yesterday (he likes to be called “Ole Roy”) and give him the news that he gets to remember the sacrifice of his battle buddies in such a profound way. Don’t be surprised if you see about 50 members of the Walser family sitting in the audience during the telecast this Dec. 7, 2010. What an incredible honor to show our profound gratitude, thank you Jim. Sharlene
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