This is the 20th installment in the Honored Role Series. Jana Fajardo grew up wanting to serve in the military, despite the fact that less than two percent of Americans do so. Both her maternal grandparents served in the Armed Forces. Her grandmother enlisted in the British Navy and her grandfather served 27 years in…
This is the 19th installment in the Honored Role Series. Like many, Angela Maria Lungu joined the Army to earn a college degree and did not anticipate serving past her initial five-year obligation or remotely consider the possibility of living and working overseas. The retired lieutenant colonel remarked, “I never thought I would stay in….
Today is an important day; Porcelain on Steel: Women of West Point’s Long Gray Line is officially released. While writing is a solitary act, publishing requires a team effort. Bringing this book to life was a six-year journey during which many supported me. It came to fruition thanks to many friends, family members, mentors and…
There is a cartoon that circulates annually this time of year. With a picture of a young boy at the table and hands in prayer position and a set of dog tags in the opposite corner, the cloud reads, “Thanksgiving is a day we take pause to give thanks for the things that we have….
This is the 18th installment in the Honored Role Series. Saturday’s graduation at West Point will mark 30 years since the first women joined “the long gray line” of graduates of the storied Military Academy. During the commencement exercises, Taneshina Wright will take the oath of a commissioned officer and become a Second Lieutenant in…
This is the 17th installment in the Honored Role Series. In Kindergarten Candice O’Brien started running the 1/8th of a mile loop around her elementary school in Muscatine, Iowa. Each time she finished ahead of all the other kids—girls and boys. Although she ran for fun, she did not want anyone to beat her. From…
This is the 16th installment in the Honored Role Series. More than a word of welcome or parting, “Aloha”, in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. Often described as the coordination of mind and heart, it also means the extension of warmth in caring with no obligation in return. This would…
Pallas Athena, the beautiful Greek goddess of war and wisdom, combines the martial and the feminine. A provocative mating of seemingly opposite yet related attributes highlights the power and grace explored in the myths of Athena. This juxtaposition of strength and femininity makes Athena the choice for the cover of Porcelain on Steel.