Veterans Day

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed." Dwight D. Eisenhower

I found this statement from President Eisenhower interesting, given that he was a General in World War II. Recently I talked to a Vietnam veteran, and he said he hates war. Then he added that no one hates war as much as a man who has fought in one.

Today is Veterans Day, and those who have served our country deserve to be honored and appreciated. Some made the ultimate sacrifice, and those who come home often find the transition into civilian life difficult. What can we do, what can I as an individual do, to make sure it is a little easier for them?

At work when a customer uses a credit card, I ask to see ID. Sometimes I am shown a military ID, and try to always say "Thank you for your service." Yesterday a woman showed me her military ID, and I saw that she was a dependent. I thanked her for her service, and she said, "Oh, it's my husband." I replied that my son was in the Air Force for eight years, and the families are serving and sacrificing, too. She seemed surprised that someone would acknowledge that, and thanked me for saying it.

It's true, though, isn't it? Even those of us who are not veterans are connected to veterans as family members, friends and neighbors. We are all in this together. I know part of who we are as Americans is that we value individualism, but I think sometimes we take it too far and to our own detriment. For when we feel connected, when we understand that we are all brothers and sisters here in this nation, and on this planet, maybe we would decide to take better care of each other.

Happy Veterans Day.

Susan

"He Ain't Heavy" written by Bob Russell and Bobby Scott.