Written by Kyri Jacobs
As a young girl, I clearly remember my Pop-Pop’s chest puffing in pride when sharing his flying stories during his years of service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. Capt. John Greenleaf was a proud Veteran. Both of his sons followed in his footsteps, including my father, Ken Greenleaf, who served in the U.S. Army in the early 1970s.
My maternal grandfather, James Goldring, also served in the U.S. Army in WWII and was shot in battle. Thankfully, he returned home to meet his daughter for the first time, my mother, when she was three years old.
While my Pop-Pop’s stories of instructing future pilots in the art of flying fill my memories, I also remember my grandmother’s recollections of being on her own as a spouse and single mother when telegrams were her only source of communication with her husband. Her grit and determination defined her, and she was steadfast in her support of her husband and her family.
Fast forward to 1992 and I unexpectedly found myself following in my grandmother’s footsteps as a military spouse. In marrying my husband, Scott Jacobs, I quickly learned the challenges spouses face and understood that fearless strength I saw and admired in my grandmother. For over 15 years, I juggled motherhood and my husband’s unpredictable schedule and absences before his retirement as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard in 2008.
When my eldest son, Kyle, chose to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming the second generation to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, I was never so proud of him.
Carrying the label of granddaughter, daughter, wife and mother to Veterans has truly shaped my life and who I am today. Having the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument in the county I call home is an incredible gift to our community. It is a tribute to all who served and, just as importantly, to their families. The conscious decision to include “families” in the name of the monument is not lost on me. While our Veterans have served and sacrificed, so too have their families. The monument will provide a sacred place to reflect and honor everyone who is serving or has served — walking in the generations of footsteps before them — as well as the families who are often the steadfast support system for our Veterans.
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