Veterans Day Tribute . . .

I want to say how grateful I am to all those who served in the past and those presently in the military.

Today I'm paying tribute to our nephew, Craig, who was a POW during the Gulf War in 1991.

On Monday, January 28, 1991 Craig was on a bombing mission in his Harrier jet over Kuwait when his aircraft was shot down. Other airmen in the area saw the Harrier explode when it hit the ground, but were unable to determine if Craig ejected from the aircraft. The following day our family was notified that he was missing in action. The Marine Corps requested that our family not make public statements regarding the situation. We had hope that maybe he got out of the plane before it crashed. We did not know if he was dead or alive. We were in constant prayer and were glued to the television in hopes of hearing any news about Craig. On March 5, 1991, our prayers were answered. Craig was released by the Iraqis in a group of 15 American POWS. He had been held near Basra. We later were told on his first day as a POW, his captors broke his left leg with a metal pipe and beat him with on ax handle. His leg was not treated. He was kept blindfolded, and handcuffed so tightly the nerves in his hand were crushed.

Thank you, Craig!

You are a hero!