This week was a great week to be a service member in uniform in New York City. The Grand Marshall of the 249th St. Patrick's Day Parade was none other than NYC Police Commissioner and retired Marine Corps Colonel, the Honorable Raymond W. Kelly, and boy did the Marines strut their stuff as they marched up 5th Avenue in honor of the commissioner, the City and the luck o'the Irish. Observing the parade from the crowd lining the streets, my deputy and I must have returned at least a zillion salutes from the oft rambunctious and sprightly clad parade goers in green.

That same morning, when I stopped by my local Starbucks dressed in my service dress blues to grab a tall decaf, the woman behind the counter said to me simply yet assertively, "On the house, it's on the house today." That was the best tasting coffee I've had all week.

And finally, yesterday I had the absolute privilege to speak to the Women's Studies group at CUNY's Lehman College in the Bronx. I talked about women serving in the military, or rather one specific woman who served, in honor of Women's History Month. The woman I spoke about was fellow public affairs officer, U.S. Marine Corps Major Megan McClung, the first female Marine officer to be killed in the Iraq war and the first female graduate of my alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy, to be killed in action since the school was founded in 1845. It was an honor to tell the women and men of Lehman about Megan during this St. Patrick's week.

Yes, the sun shone warm upon New York's face this week. You can bet your lucky charms on that.

(U.S. Marine photo by Sgt. Randall A. Clinton)