Young boy teaches officers duty, honor, country

  • Published
  • By Capt. Danielle Lloyd
  • 932nd Medical Group
Scott AFB, Ill. --  During a recent 932nd Airlift Wing-sponsored Junior Officer 
Leadership Development course, we were transported to the 
National GeoSpatial Intelligence Agency in Saint Louis.

From there, it was off to Soulard,
Mo., for lunch and then to the Gateway
to America's West...the St. Louis Arch. 

The St. Louis Arch is one of the
greatest tourist attractions this side of the
Mississippi. 

However, this is where it
all happened. Where my soul touched
the ground and my heart opened. It was
here...at the St. Louis Arch, that I found
my purpose. 

It began with our group exiting the
big blue Air Force tour bus. Everyone
made their way down the concrete path
toward the big and magnificent Arch.
For all the folks that attended JOLDs
from other states, this was a site to behold,
but for me it started out to be just
another day at the St. Louis Arch. 

I made my way to the entrance
and walked down the
well-maintained ramp into the
south side of the museum. Myself
and a lieutenant from Massachusetts,
stood there waiting for
our site-seeing group to catch up. 

As we stood there, the cutest,
most adorable little boy came
up to us with his little brother and
grandfather. He couldn't have
been any older than four or five
and his little brother was probably
a year behind him. 

He and his brother wore matching red shirts
with shorts. His big brown eyes
matched his hair color. He smiled
joyfully and said, "Excoooz me,
Excoooz me, I would like to say
thank you for serving our country."
As a mother, I thought how
adorable and respectful. 

The lieutenant and I both smiled and said,
"Thank you!" But within a second's
notice...you know how unpredictable
children can be, this precious little boy
said, "Did you hear about my Daddy?"
My heart sunk. I could no longer breath.
"It is all I could think
to say. I felt small
and insignificant. I
felt like I should be
thanking him for his
sacrifice." 

It was like watching a scary movie
where you know what was about to happen
but you can't stop it. I turned to
that little boy, looked into his eyes and
said, "No, what happened to him?" With
all the excitement of rehashing an amazing
adventure that little boy said, "He
died". "He was shot in Iraq, right here."
He pointed to his neck. I could feel the
tears flooding my eyes...my heart felt
heavy. I bent down to that little boy with
the big brown eyes and hugged him and
said, "your daddy is a hero." 

It is all I could think to say. I felt
small and insignificant. I felt like I should
be thanking him for his sacrifice. At that
moment I realized I was exactly where
I was suppose to be. I am a leader. Not
in the sense that most people might think,
but, I was wearing my U.S. Air Force
uniform. I represented the United States
of America. I represented freedom. 

I represented that little boy's daddy. I realized
in that moment it is not always how
we feel on the inside that counts but
what we represent and how true we are
to what we believe that make us leaders.
I learned a lot at this JOLDs class.
 
More than I could ever express. I made
friendships and connections with people
I will have for a lifetime. But most of all,
I learned my purpose through the big
brown eyes of a child. I learned that God
gave me skills to be a critical care air
transport nurse, and it this path, which I
must follow. 

I feel a sense of honor to care for the wounded 
and those, like this child's father, who sacrificed his most
precious possessions so that we can be free. 

I am a leader. I represent freedom.
I represent the United States of
America. It is an honor and privilege.
As our very own Col. James Patterson
would say during his speech to the JOLD
students, "We are Champions!"