Just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all the Veterans. If YOU are reading this and YOU are a Veteran, then I thank you. If you have a family member who is a Veteran, or active Duty, and you are doing double duty as a family caregiver, homemaker, worker etc, then you are a hero too, for making it possible for someone to serve our nation.
This has been a trying year for all of us. I have never seen, in my life, a pandemic like the one we have now, nor have I ever seen our nation so divided. But at the end of the day we are ALL Americans. Think about that.
We have the freedom to have our opinions, ideas, follow our dreams, read, write, and think what we want because someone, somewhere, put his or her life on the line in the fight against Tyranny. Think about that for a moment
Some Veterans chose to go into the service. Maybe they thought it would be exciting, or maybe they thought it would be heroic, or maybe they just thought that it was the right thing to do. Some had parents, grandparents who served and they wanted to continue that tradition. Some had no choice. My late Grandfather, who fought in World War 2 in the pacific against the Japanese, had no choice, he got a letter from Uncle Sam saying "be here Monday" Same with my uncle, in the Vietnam Era, join the Air Force as a volunteer, or get drafted into the Army. Little choice to serve or not to serve.
It is had for someone like myself, a college graduate, a medical provider, to imagine someone having to put 4 years of life on hold to serve in the Military against their will. The Army would not even take me as a younger recruit, when I was interested, due to poor health issues. Even later, with medical specialists needed, they balked at my health and said "thanks anyway"
So for me, it is an area of even GREATER respect for those who were physically able to enlist, or pass the draft physical,and then put life and limb on the line so that I could study in college and work in my chosen field.
Had the Americans not been the great fighting force of the past 244 years, I might not even be sitting here writing this . and you may not be sitting here reading it. Think about that. We owe so much of the freedoms, the rights, and the privileges we have to our Veterans who helped do their part, above and beyond to secure them.
SO If you are a Veteran, and I have never met you, and I have never known you, well, I still OWE you, and today you get a special heartfelt Thank You from me, because it is the very least you deserve.
The Army recruiter who turned me away told me that even though I could not serve, I could still make America great by being a good citizen. I have endeavored to do that. it saddens me that our nation is so divided. I see and work with so many people across so many lines of socioeconomic, educational and ethnic status, and I see so much value and Talent in our people. I wish we could work together, instead of accusing or blaming, because our nation has so many talented minds, so many hard workers and so many people who want to see good , and are frustrated and saddened at the anger and division of our country.
I wish people would use the talents to work together, because many problems can be solved quickly, in a win-win situation, by a team. And the Veterans know that already. The Military is a team.
Again, if there are talented people, people who want to make a difference, thank a Veteran today for giving the opportunity for others to have that chance. And let's work together, because I do not for one minute believe that People went overseas, or even worked stateside, giving up of themselves and families, to see a divided, hateful Nation. I believe that the goal was to have a Great, United Nation, One Nation, Under God, with Liberty, and justice for ALL. Let us thank the Veterans for that.
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