Almost every year I post this. I wrote it some years ago when Bush was the President. When I had a bit more pride in our Nation than I’m feeling now. But the message is the same. “Thank you”.
Veterans Day: Just a word to you cake eating civilians out there… You don’t say Happy Veterans Day. You don’t say Merry Vets Day. But just because you don’t have a meaningless Seasons Greetings for it doesn’t mean you don’t say anything.
This isn’t some fat bunny in a sled passing around Jack O’Lanterns because it’s Santa’s birthday… This isn’t about some old fable-become-tradition.
Veterans Day is a day for those that are still alive, and for those who are dead… those who died for your freedom to flip soldiers the bird and to call them baby killers and spit on them in the airport.
Veterans Day is for the guys that died fighting for your personal independent liberty…
It’s for that Veteran that walks with just a slight limp and seems otherwise fine, but he doesn’t have a spleen because an enemy of our country blew it out his back with an AK-47 so you can get 15% Off that new leather fat-ass reclining couch that your going to sit on to mock the President from while watching your 42 inch plasma TV flipping through the channels trying to find some Friends rerun.
Veterans Day is for the guy that came home while all his friends didn’t.
Veterans day is for the woman who gave up the best years of her young adulthood so she could press her hands over the sucking chest wound of some guy from her own home town 6 thousand miles away from home.
Veterans day is for that old woman over there that raised 2 kids alone because when she was young she sent her handsome young husband off to fight for your freedom and came back as a flag folded into a triangle.
That’s what Veterans day is for… and what do you say to those people who served?
You just say “Thank You”.
From one Veteran to Another, Thank You for all that you have and continue to give.
As a veteran, I find being “thanked for my service” out of some vague sense of obligation by someone who has no clue what it means to support and defend The Constitution of The United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic to be disingenuous and a little disturbing. When I saw someone exercising their enumerated rights because they understood how unique and valuable that is, I felt like I did something worthwhile. Now that we live in Obamastan, I feel like it was all for nothing.
I am sorry that you feel this way, but am still grateful for your service. To my core I know that whether Obama or Romney would have won, your service was worthwhile and that the Republic is strong. If Obama would have won there would have millions of people soul-searching and in pain because as strongly as you may feel about Republicans or Romney, that is the way they feel about Democrats or Obama. And media representations to the contrary, both sides are overwhelmingly comprised of patriots. I do not believe that one half of the nation (either the “Right” or the “Left”) are stupid or bad. But I do clearly recognize that the two sides see the world much differently. The bottom line for me on Veterans Day is that both Romney supporters and Obama supporters are protected by our troops. I know that a true soldier will not ask for my party affiliation or what candidate I voted for before taking up arms to defend me and my family. There are no words to capture how much that means.
It wasn’t for nothing, you absolutely did something worthwhile. You served your country and your fellow man. THERE IS NO GREATER HONOR. The strangers who thanked you probably meant it, and if they seemed quick about it or sheepish it was probably because they were ashamed they haven’t done more themselves. Can’t say as I ever approached a random stranger to thank them, but that doesn’t mean I’m not thankful. I’m especially thankful to my Dad, uncle, Dad-in-law, and now nephew for serving, and to God and to his buddies in his unit for bringing him home alive. so… THANK YOU! I mean that.
Thanks for the post, Ogre. We veterans never ask for thanks, but it’s good to hear.
And Thank you, too.