I'm not being a stick-in-the-mud either. Just think about that word: Happy...
We're not talking about "Happy Thanksgiving," or "Happy Holidays," or "Happy (merry) Christmas," or "Happy New Year," or "Happy Birthday."
What we are talking about are those men (and some women, though women should NEVER! be put on the front lines in combat roles!!) who wore the uniform of their country for various personal reasons, but in the long run, personal reasons mean little, it is a way of life -- even if only for one hitch of 3 or 4 years -- that puts that vet in a position of jeopardy of life and limb for a cause, or, more importantly, for his brother next to him in the machine-gun bunker.
Think for a moment that it was, or is, the veteran that allows us all to live in freedom (regrettably, less so since the liberty-limiting federal mandates since "9/11" and after).
You can live and travel basically wherever you want; you can vocally disagree with the government and seek redress of grievances; you can protest for or against whatever cause you choose; you can go to the school of your choice; you can practice your faith; the list can be endless...
But that list would be dramatically shortened if you lived in North Korea, or China, or what's left of Russia, or, let's say Yemen, Libya, Syria... you get the idea.
When the uniform is worn, the man wearing that uniform changes in ways that only those who have served know what I'm talking about. And, heaven forbid, when that vet has been in a war, the change can be so extreme that he is no longer recognizable to family and friends. He is different. He cannot, in many cases, be understood as before his war experiences.
Don't let anyone fool you: if it wasn't for the military, the United States of America would not exist. It is certainly not perfect -- neither the country, nor the military -- not by a long shot, but those who dissuade those from entering the military don't know what they are talking about. I would suggest taking their respective noses out of the books they are reading and use some common sense. It is the veteran that allows them to read those books, the same books that criticizes the man who protects them so they can sleep peacefully at night!
So, if you happen to see or come across a veteran today -- or any day, for that matter -- thank him for his service to his country -- and you!
Pray for all veterans, both living and deceased, and pray for our country.
Gene DeLalla
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