My mother (on right) always inspires me to do more for others and supports me at the same time

My mother always taught me the importance of giving back to one’s country and community.  On holidays, my sisters and I often found ourselves sweeping floors or serving food at a soup kitchen to those less fortunate.  My mother’s example demonstrated how important it is that we preserve open space and do more for the environment, taking into account the generations that will follow us.  I even volunteered quite a bit for political causes and local charities before graduating high school, but was never sure where this burning desire to do more for others came from until I became an adult.

As a pre-teen, my mother once explained to me why she never had a large family.  Her immediate ancestors left Poland, Russia and Germany when the situation became tense in Europe during World War I.  Many members of my extended family remained steadfast in their desire to stay in Europe – even as Hitler made things even more difficult to be Jewish and free.  Of those who remained, the majority of my family did not escape in time before World War II started.  As a direct consequence, most did not survive the Holocaust.  This reality hit home for me when my mother’s cousin, Harry Posmantier, one of three brothers who lived to share his personal account of this horrific time in our world’s history, sent me his book, “The Last of the Numbered Men.” Reading Harry’s heart-wrenching, yet hopeful personal account of the Holocaust and his life only further guided me on my own personal journey to give back and do more for the greater good of Americans.

Once in a while, I have the opportunity to drive a boat, too

When I was 13, I participated in a Jewish rite of passage known as a Bat Mitzvah.  My mother – always thinking of others and striving to do more for give back – helped me to arrange a “twin” as part of the ceremony.  At this time in our history, Jews were not able to practice their religion freely in the oppressive former Soviet Union.  By being “twinned,” Anna, a 13-year old Soviet girl, was Bat Mitzvahed at the same time I was (albeit, virtually).  However, I was the only one who was able to participate in the rite of passage without the fear of being persecuted.  I still recall my strong feelings of pride, duty and purpose as I gazed upon the empty chair, draped with a prayer shawl, which was carefully positioned next to me as I read aloud from the Torah.  The experience had a much greater meaning, knowing that I was not alone on that stage.

Being a woman, Jewish, strong (some say hard-headed) and having both a civilian and a military career is unheard of in most of the world.  I wake up every morning, believing from the very core of my being that I truly embody the American dream.  Some would say that serving in the military – especially with the constant uncertainty as a reservist – is the ultimate sacrifice.  Being a part of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve allows me to contribute to an organization whose primary mission is save lives and protect our shores.  As a public affairs specialist, there is no greater privilege than having the ability to share the good work of my shipmates with others.

On this Veterans Day, I could not think about a more appropriate time to share inspired me to join the Coast Guard and give back to this amazing nation of ours.  What inspires you to give back?  Why did you join the Coast Guard?  I could not be more excited to hear from you and learn about your personal journey.

Take a look.

Don’t forget that you can help the families left behind with donations to the Coast Guard Foundation.

Myself, my father Capt. David Visneski USCG Ret. and my brother 1st LT John Visneski US Airforce.

I know this will sound silly, but I always get embarrassed when someone thanks me on Veteran’s Day for my service.  I just get all flustered when someone thanks me…because I am just someone who loves the Coast Guard, our missions, and strongly believes that serving your country citizens is something everyone should do in some fashion. I am no hero.

So instead of simply listing out how I joined the Coast Guard, I thought I would talk about the people that are heroes to me.

You see both of my grandfathers served in the military in war times. One grandfather retired as a Senior Chief from the Coast Guard.  My mother’s brothers both served, one Navy and one Coast Guard. My aunt served in the Navy. My father served 27 years in the Coast Guard. My brother just got his commission in the Air Force and soon will be deployed to the war.  My husband is  Navy and just returned from being deployed to Afghanistan.  My husband’s sister is in the Marine Corps and has done several tours in Iraq, while raising a family. These people? They are my heros.  To me they are the veterans to thank today.

Gary Watry, USN...my uncle and one of my heroes.

Last year, my uncle passed away very suddenly. It was strange as I sat there at the memorial, it was like my heart had been removed from inside me and replaced with a bell…like you might hear some misty morning from a great cathedral. It tolled within me and it was all I could hear and I wondered if my cousin could feel the ringing through my finger tips as I held her hand.

My uncle was an amazing man. He lived all over the world before I was old enough to really understand what a big world it was. He had a wry dry wicked sense of humor. He was proud to be in the Navy and that sometimes led to ribbing about the Coast Guard, as is the nature of our sister services.  He made me want to see the world with all his amazing stories and the things he brought back from his travels. He and the rest of my family made me want to be a better person, to be a part of not just our family by blood, but the family that comes with service to others.
At his memorial, standing with my family watching a flag being folded to the mournful cry of Taps I looked around and realized that it might very well be in my blood to serve my country. I am deeply honored to be a part of that. I had to smile just a little through my tears just then, proud of where I come from, proud of my family, serving others is in our blood…and to me there is nothing more noble to strive for. I want to make them proud.
Family is defined as a group of people related to one another by blood or marriage…such a plain way to describe something that is so much more complex, more rich… the very sustenance for our hearts when we can find no hope, to laugh at us when we take ourselves just too seriously, to pick up the pieces, who ask us to do no less than the impossible…so much more than blood or marriage.

So on Veterans Day, these are the people I think about along with all those who are serving over seas, who have never come home to kiss their children goodnight, who have come home broken, who have paid prices many could never dream of. The heroes who go out in the dark of night to save a life, those who put others before themselves. It would be my honor someday to be counted among their numbers. They are the veterans, they are the heroes,  and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

Why/how did you decide to do what you do?

We are fortunate on this day that the 82nd Congress legislated that the Marine Corps “be the most ready, when the nation is least ready.”

We are also fortunate to have you as one of our sea service partners!

Semper Fi and Semper Paratus on your 234th birthday! Enjoy

For more of her work check out her site.

That being said just because it is a tough story doesn’t mean we shouldn’t post it here, or that we can’t have an adult, polite and professional conversation on the processes of the UCMJ, CGIS and investigations. I will say this: my posting about this does not indicate guilt or innocence in the case.  I am not a lawyer, I do not know Capt. Hamilton, and all I know about the case is what I read…so I can not say anything about the validity of the charges. Not my place. What I can talk about is what I believe about being an officer.

If the charges are true, I would think it would be within the rights of every Guardian to be incensed because the alleged actions do not reflect what being an officer or a Guardian should be. Yes we are all human and we all make mistakes, but I do firmly believe that when we take that oath we make a promise to hold ourselves to a higher standard. That we will work hard to be honorable, respectful and devoted to our duty…duty both to service and to our families.

When we fall from that standard we should be held accountable, which is why the UCMJ exists. The UCMJ itself shows how we as service members are held to a stricter standard than civilians…and I have to say it, we signed ourselves up for being held to the rules found therein.

Overall reading the charges? I think the lingering feeling I have is disappointment. The alleged actions as described in the charge sheet are not those that represent our values.

Just remember that everyone is innocent until proven guilty no matter what personal feelings we have. Also remember that this is one person accused of something, yes there might be others out there and there probably are…but the majority of our people, officers and enlisted alike are honorable people who care a great deal about the Coast Guard and the people they serve. I firmly believe in the Coast Guard and our people, and I am proud to serve with them.

Yeah, I am sure I come across a little starry eyed about being an officer and honor, and I know that I am not perfect nor are those above me in the chain of command. Thing is, I grew up believing in the honor and devotion expected of Coast Guard members, and I still do. Personally I am not going to let one person’s allegedly poor behavior change how I feel about my uniform or others that choose to serve. I hope others will do the same.

Disclaimer: This is an ongoing case, what I say here is of an unofficial discussion and not to be taken as the official word of the Coast Guard. Please keep your comments professional. I ask that you keep your language appropriate. I will remove any comments that include names of anyone else involved, or that make any attacks on persons involved or not.

Please note: The linked document was publicly released and can be found on a number of other public sites. Please be aware that it is VERY explicit.

Captain Mark Hamilton Charge Sheet DD Form 458 11-03-09 Redacted

Just so you know, the webcast won’t start until the memorial does at 11am PST.

Here is a link to the webcast.

There is a video that is to be played at the memorial that you can watch now:

Memorial Video

First, don’t blame yourself. Survivor’s guilt does nothing to honor those who died. Do not dwell on the what ifs. Honor them by continuing the mission they considered important enough to risk their lives for.  Be strong, support each other, and let the families of the fallen know they will always be in our heart and a part of our family.

The other thing I thought was important to share: Tell your family what you do at work.

Guardians, take the time to sit and really talk to your family about what you do everyday. Even though for you going out on a boat or a plane is just par for the course, we must remember that it is dangerous. What you have chosen to do is not something everyone does, and so we can’t expect that it is something everyone should inherently understand.

Not saying that you should scare your children with bed time stories about plane crashes or being lost at sea, or that you should make sure your spouse is in a panic every time you go to work. (That could make life really difficult for you and your family.) Just be realistic and let them know the risks you face. Make sure your family understands, and make sure you understand what you are asking of them.

Always remember it is not just your life you risk when you are out there, your family’s heart goes with you every time you take on a mission. There is little that can make you feel the way you do when your loved one is in danger and there is nothing you can do about it.

Our families are heroes too and we should never forget that.

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Two more things:

If you are on Facebook, many Guardians and supporters are changing their profile picture to the patch of Airstation Sacremento. I have put the picture on this post so that if you want to you can save the image and put it up on your Facebook too. It is a simple way to show solidarity for those who were lost and for those at the Airstation who are continuing the mission.

Also the memorial for the lost crew is going to be webcast. As soon as the information comes out we should be able to post a link here if it is outside of the internal data network, which I expect it will be.