Almost 46 years ago, Mike and I met at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was a Captain, just back from Germany, and I was a Lieutenant in the Nurse Corps. Six months later, he proposed to me in his car after work right after I told him I had orders for Korea. We were married in June 1974. Three days after the wedding, he left for a three-week Temporary Duty (TDY) assignment in Ft Polk, Louisiana. Two months later, I left for a year-long tour in Korea. I should have realized that would set the tempo for our marriage.

Between nine years in Europe, military schooling and multiple TDYs, we managed to raise three wonderful children. They all thought that TDY was a place where Mike worked. When he was home, his focus was on the children and making sure that we had a comfortable life.

He was always a soldier first. He lived by the motto – Duty, Honor and Country. After retiring for the last time in 2014, his health started to decline so he spent his last few years reading and watching his beloved sports teams. He stayed physically active, going to the YMCA three days a week. And he continued to live by his motto “You can’t hurt steel.” I loved him dearly and miss him every day…