OUR DAUGHTER, THE SUPERHERO
Brad Hosmer and Nancy Gardner, and their daughter Shannon, talk about the concern they felt when she decided to join the Army, and their pride at her strength and sense of duty.
rad Hosmer and Nancy Gardner know that their daughter, Shannon, is a strong woman, capable of making good decisions. But in their hearts, she’ll always be their little girl. So when Shannon announced that she was joining the Army, her parents were surprised and a little concerned.
“I kind of knew their reaction would be a little, like, ‘Are you crazy? What are you thinking?’”
— Shannon Lee Hosmer Davis
Like the parents of many Soldiers, Brad and Nancy were worried about deployment. “Personally, I didn’t really want her to go,” says Brad. But Shannon’s understanding of the commitment she was making, and her desire to serve and make a difference in the world, impressed and reassured them.
“Her exact words were, ‘I want to serve my country.’”
— Brad Hosmer
Brad and Nancy were anxious as Shannon completed her Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training and soon after received her orders for deployment.
Brad kept in close contact with Shannon during her time overseas through letters, phone calls, and daily e-mails. The incredible pride he and Nancy felt was overwhelming.
The entire family is impressed by Shannon’s sense of duty, her courage, and her strength as a Soldier and an individual. Brad says, “Her brother thinks the world of her. She’s just his superhero. [I’m] that way too.”
“Superman himself could land next to me and I’d say, ‘Excuse me, sir. You’re blocking the view of my daughter.’”
— Brad Hosmer
Nancy: She came home and she said, “Well, I’m going to the recruiter, I’m going to join the Army.” And I went, “Wow.”
Shannon: I kind of knew their reaction would be a little like, “Are you crazy? What are you thinking?”
Brad: Personally, I didn’t really want her to go. I was a little nervous about it. I said to her, “You know, if you do this, you more than likely will be overseas at one point in time.” And she told me, “I understand that, and I’m ready to do that.” Her exact words were, “I want to serve my country.”
Shannon: He was a very honest recruiter. He said, “As an MP, you will be deploying.” And to me right there, just, that was just, I wanted to do it. I wanted to do my part in this world.
Brad: I had a knot in my chest, ’cause I knew that eventually deployment would come about.
Shannon: At first I was real, real nervous because I was fresh out of Basic Training, but I think that was the best training I could’ve possibly had, was to be deployed right away.
Brad: She ain’t no little girl no more, but she’s my little girl, and she was going off to war, simple as that. Every day I would go to work and the very first thing I would do would be to head right for the computer and fire it up and [think] “Please be there, Shannon. Please be there.” I think I must have said it every e-mail, every phone call. I was so proud of her; it was hard to get the words out without crying.
Shannon: I feel like my self-confidence just went through the roof. I can do whatever they throw at me. There may be a little setback here and there, but you overcome that setback and you just drive on.
Brad: We’re amazed. Her brother thinks the world of her. She’s just his superhero. I was that way too. I think I sent her an e-mail once and said, “Superman himself could land next to me and I’d say, ‘Excuse me, sir. You’re blocking the view of my daughter.’”
