Remembering Our Debt This Veterans Day

Too many times when we hear about military action overseas we forget that the military is on large entity made up of sons, daughters, husbands and wives just like you and I. I hesitate to say “just like you and I” because this doesn’t give them the credit they deserve. I think you have to be a special kind of “baddass” to leave everything you know and love to fight for your country.

Remembering our debt to the veterans should not just be something we do on Veterans Day…it should be everyday of our lives.

Like I said, It takes a special type of person to sacrifice everything they have in order for us to have the freedoms we currently enjoy. These men and women have valiantly and selflessly devoted giving themselves towards something greater than themselves…their country.

The fact that we don’t even know the names of many of these men and women, and they still choose to fight for us gives me a great sense of pride to be an American, and also makes me realize how we take their sacrifices for granted far too often.

“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” – Mark Twain

Stop for a second and ask yourself…

Would you be where you are today, or have what you have without the blood, sweat and tears of these veterans?

I’m not going to get too deep, but how many of us would even exist without their sacrifices, and what would the world look like today without them?

Where would we be right now if our founding fathers decided to accept status quo instead of fighting against an oppressive government?

Where would we be right now if we decided to sit back and let leaders like Hitler and Mussolini force their will across Europe?

This country was founded on the fact that people were willing to fight for a better life, and as time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to protect those freedoms.

We would all love a world without war and conflict, but that is just not possible. From the very small scale, to the very large scale people will always want what you have, and if you can’t protect it, they will take it. Unfortunately this is human nature, and as long as power and greed play a role it will never change.

We need to set aside our opinions aside about whether or not we agree with some of these military actions, and remember that these people are not the paper pushing bureaucrats in Washington that pick the fights. These men and woman chose to fight without question for the freedoms we hold dear, and chose to fight for the greatest country on earth.

Not all sacrifices they make are made on the battlefield, and not only are the people who serve in the military making these sacrifices for our country, their families are as well. The military family’s that stay at home while a loved one is deployed, the mothers and fathers who raised such a strong person and the children who need to transfer to school after school are all affected in one way or another.

Expendable Pawns in a World at War

As we go through our daily lives it becomes easy to take for granted what these men and women do for us. Just like police officers, they do their job so well that it only gets noticed when something goes bad. When you hear the talking heads on TV and in Washington talking about sending 10,000 troops here or there we think about it as a military action, but we don’t think about those 10,000 lives that will be affected, not to mention their families.

I understand that some of these conflicts are unavoidable, but we as Americans can do more than just think of them as a number. Even if only 1 of those 10,000 troops lose their life, how many more come back injured, mentally or physically?

Why is it that we know when and how someone in Hollywood dies within hours, but we never hear about our service men and women who die on a daily basis?

Why is it that when these men and women come back from service they are treated as expendable?

Shouldn’t a hero be treated like a hero?

Why is it that you always see a homeless man holding a sign that says “Disabled Vet” But you never see a homeless politician holding a sign that reads “morally bankrupt?”

I’m not going to say it’s not fair for a pro athlete or a movie star to make more than someone who fights for our country, because I am not their employer. But I do pay my taxes, and it’s ABSOLUTELY NOT RIGHT that the average politician makes at least 10 times as much as someone who actually put their life on the line.

We should all be outraged by the way our service men and women are treated when their service is “no longer necessary.” How can someone on Medicaid have a better chance of getting medical treatment than someone who fought for their country?

Situations like these only go to show where we are as a country, and where our priorities really are. People don’t like to acknowledge the soldier because it reminds them that everything is not all sunshine and roses. And the reason we can sit and watch our favorite sitcom on TV is because of the thousands on men and women who served in the military…not the actors “playing one on TV.”

As you celebrate Veterans Day today (and every day for that matter) make sure that every time you cross paths with a veteran they know how grateful you are. It doesn’t matter if they have served 3 tours on the front lines or sat behind a desk, these are all different parts of the machine that gives us the freedoms we enjoy today.

To All Veterans – Past, Present and Future

I can’t put into words how thankful I am that you have chosen to do what you have to help keep this the greatest country on the planet. You have chosen to take on something bigger than yourself, and do it knowing full well you will not get the credit you deserve.

For that, my family and I thank you!

You can help support our troops by donating your time or money to the Wounded Warrior Project, America ICARE or this article has a few other options available. If you have any other ideas please leave a comment below.

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death!” – Sun Tzu