As a retired U.S. Navy veteran with 26 years of service — including time in Vietnam and the Gulf waters — I’m deeply grateful for the recognition veterans now receive. It’s a meaningful shift from the silence many of us knew in earlier decades.
But there’s a group whose sacrifice remains largely unspoken: the wives we left behind.
While we served abroad, they served at home — raising children, managing households and carrying the emotional weight of absence and uncertainty. They became both mother and father, anchor and advocate, often without support or acknowledgment.
Their strength made our service possible. Their sacrifice was no less profound.
As we honor veterans this month, let us also recognize the quiet courage of those who stood watch on the home front. They deserve our gratitude, our respect, and a place in the story of service.
Clint Dunn
Dayton, Idaho