on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, in a train car parked at a siding in versailles, france, a peace treaty was signed, putting an end to 'the war to end all wars.' what was hoped to ring in a bright future has been relegated to history. today we remember armistice or veterans day.
today, take the time to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of veterans of past and present wars, and remember, it is through their devotion to duty, love of country, and gift of life, that freedoms light has continued to shine, down those long 91 years.
today i want to say thank you. thank you for enduring the cold of bastogne, the po river valley, roberts ridge and the frozen hell of the chosin . the sweltering heat of guadalcanal, the a shau valley and the sunni triangle.
for the malaria, dysentery, pneumonia, trench foot, frost bite, gulf war syndrome and agent orange sickness you have suffered, thank you.
for all of the christmases, 4th of july barbecues, birthdays, anniversaries, first proms, football games missed, due to deployments or just field training exercises, thank you.
for putting up with the household goods lost in transit, during moves from one duty station to the next, the screwed up pay, the inadequate or unavailable family housing, thank you.
for friends made and lost during times many would say are better forgotten, thank you.
on veterans day remember this; every time you get in your car and take the kids to school, go to the store, work, the gym, a restaurant, it is because some young man or woman literally gave up everything they had for a certain period of time, and in some cases forever. all so that you can enjoy freedom and a standard of living that are the envy of the world.
~ But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye. ~ Thomas Dunn English
What a beautiful post! Thank you! Gia
ReplyDeleteWe few, we band of brothers....
ReplyDeleteYou know, there wasn't much to be happy about being stationed at Fort Riley. The unit sucked. The duty sucked. The base sucked. The equipment sucked. The command structure except for a scattered few decent NCO's, sucked. The barracks sucked. Ogden and Junction City sucked. Often, the weather sucked.
But I had my friends, and that made it all bearable. And you, Jim, we were inseperable, and the fact that we still talk 2-3 times a week almost 20 years later, that says a lot about the caliber of friend you are.
They say the friends you make in the service stay with you forever.
Cool.
You are my favorite veteran! Thank you for your service!
ReplyDeleteI can't say anything you didn't say here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your service.
gia; thanks for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteski; you are a true friend and i consider you a brother.
odie; thanks for 18 great years of putting up with my goofy ass.