From a Veteran on Veteran’s day, You are welcome

[Ferd]

You are welcome. As a veteran, let me tell you that today isn’t the easiest day of the year for those of us who have been to war. We may have left the war, but in some ways it will never leave us. Don’t forget that when you meet a vet.

Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t looking for sympathy. We aren’t interested in hand wringing and second guessing about having been sent into harms way.

We didn’t join the military and face the bitter reality of war to be molly coddled. We didn’t join so we could be “heroes”.

We joined because we love this country. We joined because we believe in the principles of freedom and justice this country was founded on. We serve because someone must and we aren’t the kind to sit back and let someone else stand in the gap for us. However, we also aren’t the kind to resent that we are standing in that gap for others. We love Americans and we know that by our service others won’t have to serve and we are glad for it.

Someone somewhere first said that war is hell. There is truth in that. But we know that too often a greater hell exists where men and women refuse to stand up and fight tyranny. So we serve. Some of us find ourselves in war. Some of us never return from the war. For the rest, the war never leaves us.

We are happy to have done our part so that every American can live in freedom. All we ask is that you cherish the freedom that we purchased with blood and tears. That you understand that Freedom, real Freedom is the most costly thing there is on this planet.

Please remember that what ever your political persuasion, what ever you stand in defense of or what ever you stand in protest against, you have the right to do so because of some man or woman in the uniform of the United States of America.

You are welcome.