Veteran's Day

May God bless you and bring you peace.

We live in a country that marks a day for Veterans on its calendar, but fails to honor its Veterans.
On the evening news you may hear about a small gathering of people somewhere who have come together to pay tribute to Veterans. It is a nice little filler. It won't take long. Yeah, go ahead and run it.
We have Veterans living and dying on our streets; homeless, cold, and hungry. This, while our criminals are free, or if confined, living in warmth, being fed, cared for; often entertained.
I am a Veteran. Perhaps someday I may tell my story. But this isn't about me. Or even about Vietnam.
This is about honoring Veterans: All Veterans

Those who have served in all branches of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

Those who made the supreme sacrifice, who gave their very lives.

Those who returned, forever changed.

Those who did not return; Prisoner of War, Missing in Action, Killed in Action
(body not recovered).

Most veterans began their service; and it was a service, when they were young, and so much of life was ahead of them. Perhaps they served for a short time, or continued to serve for many years. Perhaps they saw war and battle; perhaps not. Whatever their service, most served with honor and should therefore be honored. For they sacrificed the known for the unknown. When a man or woman enters the military, there is no way to predict how that person will be called upon to serve. And yet they went. Marching into harm's way, accepting the challenge and prepared to meet it. In that regard there is no difference between a warrior and a clerk. All who served gave of themselves to this country and to you!
This should neither be ignored, nor forgotten.

Yet what of those we lost to war? How can we know the loss of each person's sacrifice?
What 'might have been' for each of them had they lived? We can only promise that we will never forget their sacrifice. We must honor them, and remember them. Isn't failure to honor the same as dishonor? What does this tell our children? What does this say about us, both individually and as a people? Whether we can agree on any particular military action, we must support our troops. They are our future veterans.
We need not honor war in order to honor those who served!

This is not about politics or race or religion; its about individuals, coming together to offer thanks to those who served. Is that really asking so much?

This Veteran's Day, thank somebody who's a vet. They will really appreciate and it should make you feel better, too. And tell your children about Veterans. Pass on a legacy of trust, integrity, honor, faith, and determination. Patriotism lives on!

Click on POW/MIA graphic to return to the January 1999 issue