Appreciation to active-duty military and veterans

By Jim Killebrew

[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.

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.

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.]