To our honored veterans:
To all of the brave and honorable men and women who serve and have served in this Great United States Armed Forces, I express my deepest thanks. Your sacrifice, blood, sweat, tears, and exerted efforts make this country a safe and free place to live. One day of recognition could never repay our debt to you, but I stand and applaud you.
Most especially on this day, I remember the sacrifice that my Grandfather (and my Grandmother in her own way) for fighting in World War II. Wiley C. Baxter joined the US Army as young as he could, and fought in the trenches and battlefields of Northern France. He lost his leg, his hearing in his right ear, and every great man of his squad that fateful day in ‘44. Though I’m sure a part of him never left that hell, my PaPa returned home to raise three kids with his wife, and teach us all about patience and kindness and honor.
So it only seemed fitting that my son, Wiley’s great-grandson would take his first halting steps while holding onto PaPa’s wooden leg. Pop was our family’s firm foundation in spirit, and now his handicap provided a firm support for little Owen to stand and walk:
Thank you again, PaPa for all that you have done and still do.
Thank you to all of our veterans who served their country.
And thank you to our service men and women who choose to continue to protect us.
November 12th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Wow, this comments section is sure snazzy!
I thank a veteran every time I talk to one, not just on Veteran’s Day.
But I did break out my Red Friday Support our Troops t-shirt today.
November 12th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Working on an Army base, I daily meet too many soldiers and veterans to thank them all without coming across like a fanboy. But I do show them respect, and express my belief that we should all respect our Armed Forces, no matter what the politicians send them to do.
Perhaps more importantly, I express that belief to non-veterans who might think to bad-mouth our soldiers for the politicians’ choices. That would be an error I must point out.
But I am thankful to live in a country where people can make that error with impunity.