Mother, Daughter, Soldier, Scholar

I recently wrote about Heather and Mark’s Excellent Adventure. Daughter Courtney also faces a big change in her life, one I – and her husband, Dave – can relate to; a combat assignment. Here’s a little about a hero of mine, Major Courtney Short.

Courtney was born in a little town on the prairie. the model for Carol Bly’s Rachel River, a place our story will wind its way through later. She was in the stroller at her sister’s public dance debut. (See Daughter, Actor, Scholar, Advocate)

She followed her sister to All State Choir, and onto Twin City professional stages, including Children’s Theater, the Guthrie, and Actor’s Theater. At nine, she played Annie Graving (with Craig T. Nelson and Pamela Reed) in Rachel River, a film based on the Carol Bly short stories inspired by the small town of Courtney’s birth. That’s two daughters in the Screen Actor’s Guild. Courtney played volleyball, but injury cut short that endeavor. There was student body office, music, drama, and swing dancing, that last not a school activity.

Courtney developed a love of history and writing early, announcing that she planned to go to Columbia University to pursue journalism. Doing exactly that, she enrolled in Columbia’s Barnard College, pledged Delta Gamma, played intercollegiate rugby, and earned a Bachelor in history from Columbia University, while also earning a commission in the United States Army through Reserve Officer Training Corp across town at Fordham University.

After graduation it was Ft. Bliss for training in Patriot missiles, and on to Korea to run a Patriot platoon and battery fire control. Korea was where her future appeared not to be Army at all, but rather that of an Air Force wife of a fighter pilot, before the tragic death of Lieutenant Randy Murff, whose story was told by Courtney in Determined Dreamer, Passionate Flyer.

Upon returning to the United States, Courtney commanded a Patriot battery, served on battalion staff, earned a Master’s in Management, taught at the Air Defense School at Ft. Bliss, Texas and married fellow Captain (now Major) David Short. Soon after, she accepted an appointment to the faculty at West Point contingent on completing her Master’s in history, which she did at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completing her PhD., ABD.

She began her West Point assignment in 2008 as an instructor, and later as Assistant Professor (not everyone makes that step), in the Department of History. Promoted to Major in January 2009, her assignment to the United States Military Academy ended this past May.

In August 2009, she became a mother (and I a grandfather) to Olivia. This summer, she’s been preparing to deploy at the end of this month to Afghanistan as a staff officer of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division. Meanwhile, husband Dave has charge of Olivia (or is it the other way ‘round?) at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

Courtney, you’ll be in our thoughts every day until you are safely home.