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Thanks for Your Service

I read a great piece by Dorothy Hutchison today called “Amazing Speech by a War Veteran.” Dorothy is a former Marine and a very sharp woman. She made me think about the members of our US Military. In the dark days after the horrific events of 9/11, my husband was called to active duty and sent to the Middle East for a one-year deployment. It was hard on me; it was hard on him. Alex had four years of active duty in the Navy, then Navy Reserves for four years, and then changed to Air National Guard when his squadron moved to Texas.

Since we live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I heard a lot of comments about how wrong this upcoming war was. Uh huh. I had people actually ask me if Alex knew what he was doing was wrong. My husband is military through and through. He went where he was sent. He did his duty. It didn’t matter if he agreed with what was being asked of him. His Dad was a Marine in Vietnam, and so were his five uncles. They did what they were told to do. And they never regretted a moment of it. With a lot of sadness, Alex retired last year after twenty-five years of service. Oh yeah, he’s a hero. Dorothy Hutchison is a hero. Sylvia Bradley’s husband Lamar is a hero.

I firmly believe that the men and woman who make up our armed forces are some of the finest people in the world. They risk their very lives to ensure that we have to freedom to live as we choose. They are put in harm’s way so that we don’t have to be. They deserve our support and respect, and more than that, our heartfelt thanks for the job that they do.

First published January 2010

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Dennis, I feel the same way! Thank you for your comment.

When i walk down the streets and see men and women in uniform, it makes tears come to my eyes. My little brother was in the AIR FORCE during the first Gulf War, and to this ay he will not talk about what he saw there. But he is MY HERO , because he was there and made a difference in my life.Because he is not here, i salute all his brothers and sisters in uniform when i can, and where i can. MY BEST WISHES TO ALL SERVICE PEOPLE IN OUR ARMED SERVICES,YOU ARE IN MY PRAYERS.

Thank you for this! So few people really appreciate what veterans do for us. I am proud to be a wife of an Army soldier, a daughter of a Navyman, granddaughter to an Army soldier and a sister to an Army National Guardsman. I've also had 3 uncles who served, and 1 aunt. I too serve, as a military spouse (which as anyone who has ever held this job, is the hardest job in the world right up there with being a parent) Thank you to all our military members, you are all my heros!

Amen Linda. My family is all miltary too. Brother 2 terms in Vietnam. We go way back to the Civil war. Its an amazing thing to put yourself at deaths door for a belief. To charge a field where your pals are dying around you and yet you go on. I cannot imagine the courage this takes. That first clip in the film, Saving Private Ryan, is the true visual terror and reality of war. It is an awful thing, but so is tyranny and the atrocities of those who wish to conquer or obliterate. Thank God there are those brave enough to fight on the side of right. Saddam was an evil man who killed and enslaved tens of thousands and taking him out was a public service, no matter how you feel about Iraq. I pray we will always be the Cowboys with white hats leading the charge. My grandfather was a Marine too, Alex. Sharp shooter and boxer. They come that way from Montana.

As a child born during Vietnam, I didn't meet my dad until I was two and don't remember him much until about 5 or 6. He was and will always be my hero. I think we should teach patriotism in school because there is an abundance of people who think the USA formed in a void. They forget that men and women have always bled for this country and will continue to do so if we are to remain free. Whether we agree or not, once the fight begins, walking away isn't an option. Nor is losing.