Saluting our Veterans

Today was a Veteran's Day Appreciation service at our school. Some very dear friends of mine were in charge, and since it is a small community, they asked for local family members to bring in photos of loved ones who were or had served in the armed forces. We took in pictures to be copied, and they were all hung on a "Wall of Honor." During the ceremony family members brought in flags to place in urns at the front while a veteran called out the names, ranks, and facts. Earlier two speakers talked about "their veterans," and they were very good. One had lost a son a year ago in Iraq, and the other was a war bride from England who was married for sixty years to "her veteran." I took my mom, who cried before the program after she just read the order of events. It WAS touching, and although I'm a definite crier, I tried hard to be stoic. That's my new attempt it seems. Me, who cried like a baby every year when we read Anne Frank and "The Scarlet Ibis," me.... who can't watch a Budweiser Clydesdale ad.... I'm trying to be a tough cookie.... Whew, I'll let you know how that works out...

The service made me think a bit about Veterans and my generation's peculiar stance. I come from a long line of patriots, and I'm very American at heart.... but as a child of the sixties, I'm always kind of amazed to see wars sponsored on t-shirts worn by young people.... It's hard to think about war for me... I have noticed I tend to stuff things when they make me uncomfortable... Wars do that.... I mean no disrespect. My father fought in WW2, and my grandfathers in WW1. My husband was a navy man... That's the beautiful way the woman ended her talk. She said something like, "I have known many veterans--- my husband, his six brothers, a son in the Marines, a grandson in the Marines, and many friends and neighbors. We each have known a veteran at some time or another.... and the Good Lord knows them all."

Wasn't that sweet? I want all of our young people to return home safely. I want America to stay true to the good and beautiful things inside... Today I was quite blessed to be a part of this lovely celebration with vignettes of war memories, photographs, flags, and examples of war uniforms from many foreign wars of long ago... I salute the veterans.... and I send a hug to those who love them...