Appreciation to active-duty military
and veterans
By Jim Killebrew
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[November 11, 2013]
Active-duty servicemen, servicewomen and veterans have and continue
to provide service to their country. They served on ships, in
airplanes, tanks, jeeps, Humvees, helicopters, trucks and on foot.
They have given their word and taken an oath to protect and preserve
our way of life in the United States, even to the point of dying to
allow each of us to remain free.
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Around the world they have marched through mud and fire,
eaten swill, frozen in foxholes, fried in deserts, and been
eaten by mosquitoes in the jungle. They have been in grave
danger under enemy fire, tortured by enemy as captives and
sustained emotional trauma as they have been aware of their
loved ones at home suffering on wages that sometimes
qualified them for welfare. And yet for some of them, even
though their tour of duty finished and provided opportunity
to return to American civilization, they have stood tall and
marched right back into the zone in-country for another tour
because of their sense of honor and duty.
Take heed to notice them, and notice them you will; they
will stand out. Those men and women will be the ones whose
hands are firmly planted over their hearts when the colors
pass by during the parades. Their stand will be straight and
tall to the extent they are able as the national anthem is
played at the game. You will notice them as they quickly
wipe a falling tear as the names of fallen comrades are read
at the memorial service. You might see one standing alone in
the middle of a national cemetery by a white cross or Star
of David, with head bowed, standing at parade rest.
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So if you see someone pausing on the sidewalk, bowing his head
for a minute or two on that day, or someone looking up to a
waving flag for a moment, or a man removing his hat at the
passing of the colors during a parade you may be watching, just
watch for a moment and remember. What you may be witnessing is a
person whose memory is that of an exploding bomb, or a best
friend's life ebbing away as he holds him in his arms, or a wife
who has lost a husband, or the child back home of a mom who gave
her best for the war effort, or a woman who has gallantly fought
in one of our more recent wars. But as you watch, remember, too,
that all of those men and women who have sacrificed their lives
and those who continue to walk in harm's way have done so in
order to keep all of us free. When you see them or notice them, watch them for a moment or two
and remember as best you can the sacrifice they made for you.
You are able to walk the streets of America free, live the
American dream, relish the full rights guaranteed by the
Constitution of the United States because that man or woman
stood on foreign soil, faced the onslaught of the full force of
a powerful enemy and stood his or her ground -- all of it in
your place so you could remain free. If the situation is right,
move toward that person, take his or her hand in yours, and
simply say, "Thank you."
[By JIM
KILLEBREW, Ph.D.]
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