Hey Guys! We love your t-shirts…and we DO wear them!

I just wanted to share with you the photo of my son, Matthew,  (and his proud parents) after he took his oath or enlistment for the Alabama Army National Guard in February 208.  He is a Freshman communications major at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa and he also joined the ROTC on campus.  He had been talking about joining for some time now, but weighing all his options as to what branch of service, etc.  We have known for some years that he would eventually take this path.  Other than my father my husband’s grandfather being in the Navy as a young men, we are far removed from military life, so we had no idea what to expect as far as the ceremony.  The officer giving the oath asked us to stand at front on the stage with him while he was administering the oath because he said that was where we could get the best photos.  We had a hard time fighting back the tears as we stood in front of this fresh-faced, patriotic group of young men and women…standing at full attention, tall and proud as they solemnly swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me…WHAT POWERFUL WORDS…and there were other groups staged behind them ready to do the same!!

I have to admit that I had been a little down on the anti-American path our country seems to be taking.  I had even been down on our “disconnected youth”…until I witnessed this ceremony with my own eyes.  It made me look upon our country with new eyes.  My daily prayer has always included our brave soldiers who are serving our country to protect us, and my heart breaks each time the report comes in that some have died in the line of duty…such sacrifice can only be defined by 1 John 3:16:  This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  I teach 5th Grade SS at my church, and EVERY Sunday morning, the first prayer request is always for our missionaries and soldiers…I don’t ever even erase it off the board, because I’d just have to re-write it every Sunday…I think this is important for our Soldiers to know…that these children acknowledge, understand and appreciate their sacrifice!

I told a dear friend, who was an administrator and retired Marine about your company a few years ago and he loved the t-shirts we had purchased from you.  While at our school, he cultivated a deep love for our country in those students he taught.  Our sons played HS football together and his oldest son, Paul,  is a Marine serving in Iraq.  Paul went right into the Marines after school and was eventually assigned to the prestigious presidential guard.  He was restless with that assignment because he wanted to go to Iraq.  I gave him a tearful hug good-bye last summer a few days before he left.  I was so very proud that he was willing to make this sacrifice.

And to those Soldiers who are serving wherever you are…I would like to thank YOU…yes YOU!  I would like to thank you that I can get up every morning in my rural community, and look out my window without fear; that I can kiss my 1st grade daughter and 11th grade son good-bye as they leave for school each weekday morning without fear; that I can know that my oldest son is living and being educated on a nearby college campus without fear; that my husband and I can drive to our business and work each day without fear; that I can go to church on Sunday and Wednesday without fear; that I can go to the grocery store without fear; and most importantly…that I can walk into my local polling station and cast my vote without fear…and know that when the Presidential election comes in November, I will have done everything within my power to vote for and influence everyone I know to vote for a President who is a patriot, who loves our country and who understands the sacrifice YOU and your family make daily…and who will do everything within his power to keep our country strong!

God Bless you all
Sandra D. Cheek, Oxford,  AL