Veteran's Day

Another message from Afghanistan:

"Today was my first Veteran’s Day as a veteran. I had the day off so I attend the ceremony held on post. It was a really nice and simple ceremony that had some music and some speakers. I started my morning by waking around 1am, crawling out of bed and throwing on some warm clothing. Of course now with the cold weather it’s always a little hard getting out of your sleeping bag where its nice and warm. Plus with the cold mornings you are always a little stiff and achy. I walked to the main road and found my company lining both sides of the streets. Two soldiers who I ordered not to be up at this early hour because they had work to do in the morning were standing there. Of course they looked at me knowing they disobeyed my order, but how could I punish those who felt they had to be with the other soldiers to pay there respects. Sometimes your best soldiers are the ones who break rules from time to time. I should know. The group came to attention and the bag pipes started to play amazing grace. Seven fallen soldiers caskets drove slowly past as we saluted them. Unlike many other times, this time I could not hold back my tears and just started weeping. A few days ago I was a mission, like normal trying to accomplish what needed to be done, at times frustrated that the troops on the ground were moving so slow. Twenty or so minutes after I left they were attacked and these young soldiers died.

I think the speaker at today’s ceremony hit the nail on the head when he discussed how none of us consider ourselves heroes, but we feel that those who made that ultimate sacrifice are the heroes that provide us with our freedom. It was a moving ceremony. So if you all can, take a moment today and think about those soldiers who have fallen, if you come across a veteran take the second to thank them. I personally now feel that the best way we can pay our respects to the veterans is not as complicated as sending packages or trying to go above and beyond, of course that is always nice, but more simply to live our lives to the best of our ability, to make the time for our friends and families, to do the things these young soldiers long to do, these things we often take for granted."

“War drew us from our homeland in the sunlit springtime of our youth. Those who did not come back alive remain in perpetual springtime-forever young and a part of them is with us always.” Author unknown.