female veteran

The female veteran is an often overlooked, yet integral part of any band of warriors. She leaves her children and takes up arms to defend a nation of children while others mock her and hers. She is a giver of life and a taker of life. She is strong and courageous. She loves harder than any man, making her the finest if troops. She fights for love, not honor or glory. The VA will always ask her who the veteran is that she is married to because it is still a common belief that the female veteran is a myth or a joke. Her boots are greasy, but they are hers. She still salutes her flag and mourns her brothers and sisters in arms. She cries in the shower. She questions her value though she values others above herself. She is condemned for leaving her children, accused of being a unit whore, called a lesbian, and has had to work harder than any three men to be regarded with half of the respect freely given to men. She is alone in her pain and she knows this. She signed up for this. She volunteered for this because others would not.