A Thank You to Our Veterans

An essay I wrote as a thank you to those who have served our country.

You can see them anywhere; in the grocery store, at the gas station, walking down the sidewalk, perhaps in your neighborhood, in the airport, on a crosswalk, or even in your college classroom.  Men, women, young, and old.  Healthy, sick, amputees, and scarred.  Often times the commonality is not immediately obvious.  Other times, an onlooker knows immediately from seeing a hat or a shirt.  Who are these men and women?  They are the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces in one capacity or another.  They are our veterans.  They risked their lives to defend our nation and our freedoms.  They gave their time to serve.  

These veterans have seen conflicts ranging from the beaches of Normandy and Okinawa in World War II, to the battlefields of Korea and the rice paddies in Vietnam, to Operation Desert Storm and the continuing conflicts in the Middle East.  They have served aboard ships of all shapes and sizes, and in aircraft over many different countries and conflicts.  They served, fought, and defended our freedoms and liberties. That is what we remember and celebrate today, Veterans Day.  We remember the courage and sacrifice of out veterans.  Many of these men and women returned home without any fanfare.  In fact, many came home from risking their lives on battlefields only to be booed and jeered at upon their return.  But those veterans need to know that they are not unappreciated.  

I want to personally thank every veteran that reads this for his or her service.  Thank you for your sacrifice.  Thank you for the time you spent defending and upholding the freedoms that we so enjoy in America.  You are appreciated.  Not just anyone has the bravery to serve.  And so I thank you, veterans.  Thank you for your service. 

And I want to issue a challenge to everyone who reads this.  Not just for today, or for the next week, but for years to come.  The next time you see a veteran, I challenge you to take the time to smile at them, shake their hand, look them in the eye, and tell them "Thank you for your service."

Author's Note

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