Before the day is over, I want to thank one more veteran for her sacrifice and military service. I’ve known her for a long time and know first hand how proud she was to serve her country.
She joined the U.S. Navy after high school over the objections of her father, who wanted her to finish college before considering military service, and spent five long years away from home as a cryptographer stationed in Adak, Alaska, Pearl Harbor and at sea. She held a Top Secret security clearance and handled Top Secret intelligence on a daily basis, the same kind of sensitive classified data that landed John Walker Jr. in federal prison for selling to the Soviets.
She spent months at sea, often shadowed for days by Russian ships. She became highly proficient with 9mm handguns, M-14s and M-16s, consistently taking top honors in shooting competitions. And for a time she worked in a military correctional institute in direct contact with prisoners.
Like all our deployed service men and women, she was sometimes homesick. But she was dedicated and did her job proudly and well.
Today she sometimes jokes about her Navy days - I think all vets do that from time to time - but what she was doing was serious and necessary. This Navy veteran, this woman I’m so very proud of, if you haven’t already guessed, is my daughter. Strong, determined and now with a family of her own, she continues to make me proud. Thank you, Shannon. Happy Veterans Day.