“Freedom is not Free… Ask any Veteran
November 11th is the day we take to remember and honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and fought for our country.
We are grateful to have Mr. Worley Reed as part of our lives here and have the privilege of learning from him and his experiences from his service in the US Military. Mr. Reed served in the Army for 11 years as a Major in the Military Intelligence Branch, and served one year in the Infantry Branch detail. He came from a long history of military service going back to the Civil War and said, “After all the American people have given to me since I was born, I have felt a moral obligation to do my part to keep my country secure.” While in service Mr. Reed worked for as much as 48 hours in the field with no sleep “The military is not a job, it is your complete life.” This life in the Army came with many responsibilities and Mr. Reed said that he was taught leadership by being given leadership responsibilities right away and said that he learned that you earn everything you get by hard work and that nothing is given to you.
Reed stated “A commander is responsible for everything his/her unit does or fails to do. This was the basis of my entire professional life.” Compared to civilian leadership, Mr. Lee emphasized the importance of leading by example, and doing the work to gain the trust and respect of your team. He looks back on his service without any regrets as he led soldiers through challenging times and did not fail them. He says “I am the most proud of standing up for America and telling every American “Sleep well tonight. No one will harm you, not on my watch.’” His wife, Mrs. Joyce Reed, also said “Being a witness to my husband's commitment and dedication to serving our country is deeply rewarding.” As a society we owe veterans the utmost respect and gratitude as they willingly sacrifice themselves to protect not only those they love, but those they do not know every day. “We owe veterans a debt that we will never be able to fully repay. There is nothing we can do that is too much. There should be no homeless veteran, there should be no veteran suicide.” “They want the people of the United States to love them just as much as they have loved America.” “Always thank veterans for their service and mean it. Enjoy the liberties they fought for and sometimes died for.” These words coming straight from a veteran are important for us to keep in mind in our daily lives, not just on November 11th. At The Green Room Spa & Apothecary, we are thankful not only for Mr. Reed’s leadership skills learned in his time serving, but also for his and his family’s kindness and dedication to this team every day.
The Wife of A Veteran
Sacrifice is not only made by soldiers, but also their families. Families can be faced with many challenges, but Mr. Reed’s wife Joyce said life as an Army wife was “full of adventure and very satisfying” despite the challenges. She shared a story with us of a time when her husband's tour in Hawaii was unexpectedly shortened and their family had only 3 weeks to pack and relocate. They stayed in a hotel for 3 months while waiting for base housing to become available and quickly got registered in a new school for their daughter to complete her last few months in 3rd grade. As a mom her role was to always make sure that the children were fed, educated, and that their needs were always met while also balancing her career and marriage. Mrs. Joyce said, “As a family, through our love and devotion to each other, along with the advice from the military, really helped us to endure this difficult time.” Strength shown through her resilience and adaptability are a beautiful reminder of the sacrifices made by military spouses and families. Joyce stated that the ability to reflect on the past and the choices you have made have given her a new perspective and helped her become a better person with a rejuvenated sense of optimism and passion to achieve her lifelong goals. Mrs. Joyce believes that for a better quality of life as military families, we need to “build a clearer picture of military families to gain insight into both their strengths and their needs” to be able to provide updated programs available. While we take time to thank our veterans today, we need to also recognize and thank the spouses and families who also made sacrifices for our country.
