Honoring our Veterans –
a Veterans Day Salute
We were thrilled to hear that our webmaster’s dad was asked to talk about his experiences during World War II at a local school this week. He really enjoyed talking to the youngsters, and we keenly appreciate that there aren’t that many WW II veterans left, as they are getting up there in years.
Many of us have had family members serve in the Armed Forces during WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and so on. These men and women were prepared to lay their lives down for American freedom. It is only right that we honor their courage and commitment by taking a moment of silence today to remember them.
I sit here with a photograph of my Dad who served as an MP during WW II. He’s in his uniform and has a shy half-smile. I remember honoring our veterans together. My little sister and I would face east with Dad and salute our veterans. I am sure when we first started this family ritual, we were very small, maybe 5 and 3 years old respectively. Those were the days when we still spoke the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in school, where we weren’t afraid to say the words, “under God…”
Years after, my cousin and neighbors served in Vietnam. They would come home on leave and sit out in the yard with my Dad, talking about their experiences and how poorly they were treated when they arrived home. We weren’t excluded from the conversations but had the sense that the men had things they needed to say that we didn’t particularly want to hear.
The thing that strikes me as I look back is the pride in country our veterans have. Somehow being politically correct has whittled away the very things that made America great, that insure freedom for her people. So, I’m sitting here remembering and pray that America will be great again, that our country will stand on the principles upon which it was founded, and that our veterans will once again be treated with respect and honor for their service.
