Well said Thank You
Richard D Arnold wrote:
> In re the list traffic on military appreciation, etc:
>
> As a veteran and current reservist, thank you.
>
> I am a member of a family with a long tradition of military service. At
> one time or another, someone in my family tree has fought the British a
> couple of times, the Mexicans, the South, the North, the Indians, the
> Spanish, the Germans, the Turks, the Italians, the Japanese, the North
> Koreans, the Vietnamese, the Iraqis (heck, we didn't get along with
> anyone....). Some of the finest people I know are in the services, and
> some of the greatest lesson I've learned were in the service.
>
> Every year around the holidays I see these things, and I appreciate it,
> but can't help but think it should be a year 'round thing. The
> commitment of a member of the military is a 24/7 thing....
>
> A short essay of my thoughts on this follows my signature below.
>
> Happy Holidays to All!
>
> Rich Arnold
> Council Bluffs, Iowa
>
> *****
> We're active duty, volunteers, draftees, reservists, and guards members.
>
> We've served in peace and in war, in the freezing cold and broiling heat,
> dug foxholes, slogged through mud, moved materiels and supplies through
> gunfire, walked point in a free-fire zone, jumped from a perfectly good
> airplane into a hostile area, experienced the peculiar hell of standing
> watch when it's perfectly quiet, and donned protective masks and
> bio-chemical protective gear when the alarms go off.
>
> We've been in combat zones for month and years at a time, and served our
> country for entire lifetimes. Sometimes those lifetimes were short.
>
> We've seen the ballon go up, and deployed on a less than a moment's
> notice. We've watched our families grow up without us, lost our families
> because of our service, and our families sometimes lose us.
>
> We've been sent on combat missions and peacekeeping missions, and train
> constantly. We drive tanks, ride in infantry vehicles and trucks; we fly
> planes, pilot ships, and hump rucks. We shuffle papers, move supplies,
> turn wrenches, target guns, and perform medical services. We gather
> intelligence, drop bombs, shoot missiles, run commo, and form perimeters.
>
> We kill the enemy. We may not want to, but we do what is necessary to
> accomplish our mission: To be prepared -- at all times -- to protect the
> interests of our country. And we do this so that you never have to face
> the horror of taking a life, or seeing a friend die, or place yourself in
> harm's way.
>
> We give our lives.
>
> We've seen the world change because of our efforts, and been slighted
> because of those efforts. Some have said that idealism is dead, that in
> today's pragmatic times, folks are too practical to sacrifice for a
> concept. We do. In peace and in war, we do.
>
> Sometimes we're remembered and thanked; given a parade, a flag, or a
> salute on special occasions, or on holidays. Sometimes we're an
> inconvenience; more often, and worse, we're taken for granted, as a
> constant. We don't expect gratitude, we don't need to be glorified or
> pitied, we don't seek special honors. We do what we do out of love for
> you, our country.
>
> We've earned respect, and simple acknowledgement of our contributions.
> Please remember us daily. If you can't or you won't, and we're forgotten
> until the next holiday rolls around, we'll still be here.
>
> We'll still serve. It needs to be done, and someone has to do it.
>
> And we believe.
|