Unsung heroes

By U.S. Rep. Tom Cole
R-Oklahoma

In 1986, President Reagan’s Department of Defense declared April as the Month of the Military Child. Now, every April, I try and make it a point to draw attention to the over 1.6 million children of our brave men and women in uniform.

My late father, John Cole, lived a dutiful life. He dedicated everything he had not only to our family, but to our country. He served in the United States Air Force for twenty years and then worked an additional two decades as a civilian federal employee at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

Growing up, and still today, I greatly admired my dad’s service. He was truly a hero. He joined the Army Air Corps on the eve of World War II and by the time he left the military, he was the second most senior master sergeant in the Air Force. My father was known throughout the USAF as the one of the best to run a crew to maintenance airplanes. In fact, he won the “Dock of the Month” prize so many times that McGuire Air Force Base stopped giving the prize out as a whole. Then, when he was placed at Dover Air Force Base, he was assigned the worst dock. Yet, at no surprise to my family, he still managed to win the same award seven times at Dover, proving that his mechanical skills were just that good. 

With all that being said, I myself grew up as a military child – and as proud as I was to have a hero for a dad, I know firsthand that it also comes with challenges. Many military children must watch their parents leave home to go serve overseas, many are forced to relocate and transfer schools multiple times throughout transformative years, and, sadly, some have even lost their parent in the line of duty.

These circumstances are simply just reality when it comes to being the child of one of our courageous service members. It is not just the parent that serves, as being a military child includes its own unique sacrifices without ever putting on our nation’s uniform.

However, like I mentioned before, being a military child is something to be proud of. Our military represents freedom and strength. It is the most disciplined, capable, and lethal fighting force on this Earth. Yet, none of this would be possible without the selfless men and women who make up this force – the parents of these military children.

So, in conclusion, I want to thank our military families. Thank you for your unsung sacrifices. Thank you for dedicating your lives to our freedom. Thank you for your selflessness. I know that you all truly understand the meaning of service, and I hope you feel appreciated not just during the Month of the Military Child, but every month.

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