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Letter From The Editor

By Jetta Allen

All around the world, individuals are influenced by their family, their culture, and the environment they are raised around. Upon retrospect, the military lifestyle greatly influenced my upbringing. My Mom is a Marine brat. My Grandpa Jack served in WW2 and the Korean War, then retired from the service to later work for Braniff International Airways. I didn’t get to know my Grandpa personally, but I knew him through my mother. Her strong independent nature, work ethic, and dedication to family are something I know she learned from him and passed on to me. He taught her how to work with her hands, work with tools, and be self-sufficient. Again, something she shared with me. My Uncle Jimbo, my mother’s brother, was also a Marine serving in Vietnam. He worked hard, owned several businesses, and put my brother and me to work often, but also had a huge soft spot for us. He could be crass at times, but to me, we were a lot alike. Realists, with a bit of cynicism, but willing to let people earn our trust. He would help anyone who asked and would open his home up on holidays to our large extended family which is something I find myself doing frequently in the military community. Upon reflection, I realized that this is a huge part of our family culture, but growing up, I didn’t realize it was also part of the military culture.

On my father’s side of the family, there are so many Veterans, that I’d need a notebook to list them! Service to one’s country and community is strong on the Carter side. My Father, Rick Carter, served in Germany with the Army. My Uncle Kelly served in the Army and was stationed in Korea in the 80’s -90’s, as did my Uncle Richard and Uncle Don! Uncle Dave served in the Marines and was stationed in Japan. And my Uncle Ron was an Airman serving in Vietnam. So many of my cousins have also served!

Dedication, sacrifice, respect, and loyalty run deep in the Carter blood. I know their time in service is what shaped them into the amazing people they are today who continue to contribute to their community. My Uncle TL served in the Army in Southeast Asia and Vietnam. He was even awarded the Cherokee Warrior Award this year. The Cherokee Nation Medal of Patriotism Award “Warrior Award” is a Medal of Patriotism for Cherokee Veteran tribal citizens who have served proudly. Even today, he volunteers in the community and mentors so many. My family makes me so proud!

It shouldn’t have come as a shock that I would marry into the military, but my husband caught me by surprise. Through our marriage, he would teach me lessons of compassion, patience (giving me some as well as making me learn a bit too), and true unconditional love. He taught me how to be strong in his absence and gave me the confidence to be a fierce advocate for our son. He’s shown me that home can be wherever the Army takes us because, in truth, our family is my home, not a place on a map. That’s a true military lesson learned the hard way.

The culture of the military encompasses so much that it’s hard to put into words. What I do know is, that without our Veterans, there would be no lessons to shape generations. This November I challenge you to think about the Veterans around us and how they have created a world in which we can be free, have civil rights, and be granted the liberty to choose. Our Veterans are the ones to thank for so many of life’s simple things often taken for granted. I want to thank all the Veterans in my life who made a huge impact on my heart and helped guide me daily through the lessons taught early on.

As editor-in-chief of United on the RoK, our team would like to extend thanks and gratitude to all Veterans who served their country in the name of peace and liberty. The sacrifices you’ve made can never be repaid. To the service members still in service today, please accept our deepest gratitude as you fulfill the most honorable of oaths. As former President and Veteran Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

Thank you for your continued protection and readiness to fight tonight at any cost.

Jetta Allen

United on the RoK Editor-in-Chief