Editor’s note: Guest Speaker Chief Petty Officer Lori Matlack gave this address during the Monday, May 28, 2018, Memorial Day ceremony in Morrison, IL. Katie Ryder submitted the photos from the parade and of Matlack at the podium. The last photo is of Laurel Hill Cemetery in Des Moines, IA.
I’d like to thank Jim Prombo for the honor of being able to speak with you and share in the Memorial Day celebrations. I am deeply honored to stand with you to join in commemorating the sacrifices of those military men and women who have laid down their lives in service to this Nation. Of the 2681 veterans in this cemetery, 14 are women. More research will need to be done to distinguish those that laid down their lives for our Nation. But thanks to Army veteran and American Legion member Don Mulnix, for collecting the current statistics.
I was raised five miles north of here and am very grateful to call Morrison home. My ten years of active duty have taught me many life lessons, and I’d like to share a few of those with you.
After the tragic events of 9-11, the military presence was prominent, and the service of men, women, and firemen helping those in need put the spark of serving into my mind. The planets seemed to align, because in 2002, I was single and at a job where I was desiring more. I was drawn to the Coast Guard be[cause it was] a seagoing service, a smaller branch, and [had] a lesser chance of [sending me] overseas.
I submitted my name and number through the Coast Guard recruiting website and waited. I remember the first time the recruiter called. My mother answered, placed her hand over the phone, and quietly asked me if I wanted to take the call. I said, “Not yet.” I still wasn’t sure. A couple weeks later, after I had done extensive contemplation, she asked me, “Are you sure?”
This time, I had the confidence that this would be my new path and said, “Yes.” The desire to help others, the challenge of the unknown, and the military benefits outweighed my fears. So I drove down to Davenport, IA, alone and enlisted. This experience was by far the largest step I’ve taken. It taught me to face my fears, believe in my instinct, and make the sacrifice for the long-term benefits.
Once in the military, I discovered a lifelong benefit I had not anticipated–camaraderie among a very diverse group of people. In the Coast Guard, the longest I worked with someone was only four years. Some members transferred even earlier, due to advancement or a mutual transfer to benefit their family. However, while in active duty, it seemed like I spent more time at work than away, and even with the constant movement, strong bonds were formed among my co-workers and me. These relationships will stick with me for life. Even after years have passed, when a co-worker reaches out to me, it feels like it was only yesterday that we last worked together.
I can only imagine the brother- and sisterhood I have experienced in my years of service would be exponentially increased when serving during the time of war.
I recently learned that my great-grandfather was serving in the Navy in Pearl Harbor the day it was bombed. I had the honor to see Pearl Harbor when I was stationed in Hawaii and feel so humbled to have a family connection to such an event. A family member shared the postcard that he wrote to his parents to say he was okay. Holding the postcard from that era took me back into a glimpse of what they went through and how much the servicemen and women must have leaned on each other. In my own experience and in reflecting on those of other service men and women, I have learned the significance of the bonds formed among those serving together, and how those bonds impact a person for the rest of their life.
Although I have not served on the battlefield, as my great-grandfather did, I have experienced hardships. While serving in Belle Chasse, LA, in 2005, I was affected by Hurricane Katrina. We were required to evacuate to Meridian, MS, and we still experienced 90 mph winds. Needless to say, we also lost power. My co-workers, myself, and our families were placed in adjacent rooms on a Naval base. While the winds were uprooting 30 foot tall trees, thankfully they were falling safely in their wooded area, in the back of our minds, we were hoping nothing worse would come of the storm. In spite of our situation, a co-worker decided it was ingenious to fill their bathtub with ice and enjoy cold drinks while the power was out. You never know what crazy ideas can come out of stressful situations!
After the event, we learned that when the levee broke South of New Orleans, the water came in so swiftly that our house had popped up out of the ground, became caught in the power lines, and then settled in the street. I was not allowed to go back until two weeks after the event.
When I was finally able to return home, the house was still in a few feet of water. I was able to find some items and salvage them, but most things were lost. We were issued a FEMA trailer and lived there for approximately eight months. I requested for an early transfer, signed our house over to the parish for demolition, and sold the property. We then moved with only our two vehicles and one 6×12 foot trailer of household items and started over in North Carolina. Through this stressful experience, I learned that losing almost everything is okay, and we really don’t need much to live. The basic necessities of food, water, and shelter surrounded by loved ones is all you need.
After serving ten years of active duty, I felt a pull to return to Morrison to be closer to my family. I am so thankful I followed my gut, because after two years, my mother was diagnosed with two forms of cancer. I was able to help with the doctor visits and treatments. Unfortunately, the treatments took their toll and mom passed in 2015. I encourage anyone who has an instinct to make a change, to listen to it and make that change, especially if it involves forming a stronger connection with loved ones.
I challenge anyone who has a spark of desire to serve or to do something different to embrace the desire and follow the path. You never know what possibilities lie in your future or how the new experiences will help you grow into a resilient person. Lean on the people around you and surround yourself with positive people, so that even though you may experience a hardship, you will have the support you need and thus can support others in the future. I can assume that many of the veterans buried in this cemetery, and those whose names are on the memorial wall, started their path of serving our Country in a similar way.
As we reflect on those brave individuals on this Memorial Day, a day when we remember those who died during active military service, I would like us to remember a quote of General George Patton. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God such men lived.”
Have a blessed Memorial Day.
