Honoring Veterans

Time changes lots of things.  It heals wounds, changes perceptions, allows for people to grow, learn, and forgive.  How we honor our veterans has changed depending on the times in which we live, but also how are veterans see themselves as well

When my grandfather passed away, we knew he had been in WWII, had driven trunks and tanks in northern Africa and in Italy. They made it all the way to Germany before they got to come home. My grandfather served proudly and earned a bronze star which he did not keep at all. He served his country and protected the innocent but didn't believe he should earn a medal for doing his duty. He did what was right and just, but did not celebrate in the fact that war was necessary. All he wanted was a simple life for himself, my grandmother to whom he was married for 50 plus years and his 3 kids.

Now we get to my father, and his experiences with war and his return to our country. Less than 30 years after WWII and just having reached an armistice with North Korea less than 10 years before, we entered the war in Vietnam.  My dad joined the Air Force as a combat medic and was there for most of the major fighting in Vietnam. Now, having been lucky enough to survive the sheer horrors of war, he returned to a country that hated and spouted anger towards him for surviving things we wouldn't wish on out worst enemies. Now mostly this is due to the media making this the first war with live coverage and not just promotional reels to promote the war effort. My dad was run off an university campus and called a child killer. For those who knew my dad, you know he was the furthest thing from the monster these people tried to make him out to be at that time.

So remember our veterans, each and everyday. I've heard from men who have lived through the battles. I've seen the struggles they go through when they get home to adjust to life after the battle. They continue that battle everyday, some feel guilty for the loves they were forced to take, some feel guilty for surviving when others didnt, and some...well that battle is in their heads and they can't escape. They need our help and understanding and support. So be there for them and the families that wait for their return home. Honor the men and women who gave the last full measure of devotion to freedom and justice  

https://youtu.be/DWrMeBR8W-c