By Hank Schrader
My regular Thursday blog is going to be very short this week. Anne and I are driving up to Dallas-Ft. Worth to attend the Army Air Force game in the Rangers home stadium.
I’ve been to countless Army football games but that is not the reason it will be special, even though it is against another service academy. We love each other 364 days a year except for 3 hours during the game—that’s what makes these rivalries so neat—we wind up defending our country together as brothers and sisters in arms.
My 1967 picture as a plebe (freshman) at West Point
It’s my class of 1971 West Point 50 year reunion. I’m sure I’ll see a few guys I haven’t seen in 50 years. That will be special and I owe a lot of them thanks. We laughed, cried suffered, triumphed and managed to make it through 47 months together from 1967 to 1971.
We quickly learned to help one another just to survive. I owe a great deal of thanks to those who helped me and pushed me to get better.
The same goes for my Army career. An Army Officer never does it alone—you lead but it is a team and I owe a great deal to the officers, NCOs and soldiers I served with in my 20 years. Many shaped me, helped me and trusted me the lead them and helped me grow and become a better person and soldier.
Along the way, I have another person to say thank you to—my lovely wife Martha Anne Schrader. Growth comes from partnership, trust and her unwavering way of challenging me. I often seem to fight it but she is about 99.9% right. Thank you dear—I often need it and you have given my life purpose. In short, you Rock! I try to say thank you every day to her but I’m sure I missed a few, so to make up thanks for making my life better.
Next my school and coaching career. No finer thing can be said about teaching and coaching—you influence lives but again they all must trust you and allow you to help them grow up. Thanks for giving me the chance to teach and coach—we did it together but you had to let me have the chance.
Last but not least, thank you to all who have trusted us with their vacations. You have made our business great but it has always been a team effort.
We should all say thank you more. I’m sure I’ll miss saying it to someone I should have this weekend.
Maybe they will read this and remember I meant to say it but didn’t.
Again, thanks to all! I will try hard to say in person to everyone I see this weekend, but if I miss you know I still thank you! If you only read it—that’s OK also!
Please say thank you to someone today to make up for those I missed along the way!
THANK YOU TO All!!
Hank
