I am a veteran. Did I ever mention that? I don’t talk about it much, though. It has been a little over twenty years, and sometimes I feel very detached from that experience. Nevertheless, I served my country, this country, honorably and without incident for a little over six years.
That is why during this past presidential election, each time I heard the term “real American” I bristled. I became outraged. How can you discount my years of service because I do not think as you do? How can you question my patriotism when I offered up the most valued possession of any—my life—for the well-being and continuance of our nation?
And I recall others who served with me and alongside me. I recall with awe and reverence those who went before me. In every conflict from the Revolutionary War until this present day, there have been those who look like me who have served and even given their lives for this country. And up until the Korean War, the opportunity to do so was given only begrudgingly, and even then, the conditions under which we served were decidedly inferior to the point of being utterly demeaning.
But I didn’t mean for this to be a rant. I only desired to point out and emphasize the service of many of those who are sometimes thought of as not being “real Americans.” And to be totally honest, I, like many of those who look like me, actually benefitted from my service to this country.
In fact, it is my service to this country that paid for my undergraduate education. In addition, my service to this country allowed me opportunities for leadership and travel that perhaps would not have been available otherwise at such a young age. I perhaps received more from my service than I gave, and I believe I am a much better person now, professionally and otherwise, because of that service.
So, I would just like to take the opportunity to wish my fellow veterans a happy and enjoyable Veteran’s Day even though it comes at an awkward time in the week. Thank you for your service.
4 comments:
Thank you for your service. I was in the Army and I echo many of your feelings towards your service. The opportunity to travel, experience true responsibility all at a young age shaped me into the person I am today. I also earned a debt-free undergraduate degree due to my time in the armed forces.
Its an experience I will never forget and will always cherish.
Thank you for your service and this is coming from a veteran also. Call me crazy but I missed the army days and the friendships I had. I will always cherish those times. God bless!!
Hello Max. Thank you so much for your service to our country. I know that I appreciate it. You have my deepest gratitude for what you did. I think people on the right and left both tend to discount the views of the other side. We are all Americans. We should remember that. This country is all of ours. We all love it. People might have a different point of view on how things should be, but that's what makes our country great. We have the freedom to share our ideas with each other whether they are necessarily popular or not. Brave men and women have given their lives so that our citizenry can speak its mind. Thank you again. God bless you.
Thank you for your service.
I always thought a "real American" is an individual, opinionated (in a good way), thoughtful, and independent. You are all of those things! :)
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