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Veterans
(Author unknown)
To
understand a Military Veteran you must know:
We left home as
teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.
We loved our country
enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.
We said goodbye to
friends and family and everything we knew.
We learned the basics
and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.
We found new friends
and new family.
We became brothers
and sisters regardless of color, race or creed.
We had plenty of good
times, and plenty of bad times.
We didn’t get enough
sleep.
We smoked and drank
too much.
We picked up both
good and bad habits.
We worked hard and
played harder.
We didn’t earn a
great wage.
We experienced the
happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events back
home.
We didn’t know when,
or even if, we were ever going to see home again.
We grew up fast, and
yet somehow, we never grew up at all.
Our primary mission
was to defend American freedoms we hold so dear.
Some of us saw actual
combat, and some of us didn’t.
Some of us saw the
world, and some of us didn’t.
Some of us dealt with
physical warfare. Many of us dealt with psychological warfare.
We have seen and
experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or
explain,
as not all of our
sacrifices were physical.
We participated in
time honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our
bonds and camaraderie.
We counted on each
other to get our job done and sometimes just to survive.
We have dealt with
victory and tragedy.
We have celebrated
and mourned.
We lost a few along
the way.
When our adventure
was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new,
and some of us never
came home at all.
We have told amazing
and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.
We share an unspoken
bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will
understand.
We speak highly of
our own branch of service, and poke fun at the other branches.
We know however, that
if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand
together as one in a heartbeat.
Being a Veteran is
something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.
It has no monetary
value, but at the same time it is a priceless gift.
People see a Veteran
and they thank them for their service.
When we see each
other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing
that we have shared
and experienced things that most people have not.
So, from myself to
the rest of the veterans out there,
I commend and thank
you for all that you have done and sacrificed for your country.
Try to remember the
good times and make peace with the bad times.
Share your stories.
But most importantly,
stand tall and proud, for you have earned the
right to be called a Veteran.