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Being, originally, EUroswine, I too tend to associate November 11th mainly with the Armistice in 1918, marking the end of the single most senseless waste of human life in history. Not as much as my British or ANZAC cousins, my native country having been neutral in WWI, but still. Besides, it’s not like Denmark didn’t have its share of losses in WWI, since the Germans had discourteously ripped off most of the southern part of it in 1864, a situation that wasn’t remedied until 1920. By referendum, by the way. So quite a few Danes from that region found themselves killed senselessly in the trenches too. But I digress…
I still find it fitting that we should use this day to not only remember the ones who fought in that conflict, but rather all veterans. Surely they are people who deserve to be remembered, having risked and, in some cases, given their all for their countries. Greater love hath no man, and no man is more deserving of respect.
And so we dedicate today to remembering all of those who left home and hearth, all they knew and loved behind to go fight for their countries if need be, and die for them if they must.
In all honesty, though, we ought to have a day for remembering those who kept the homefires burning too. Their lives were full of sacrifice too, and without them there would have been no supplies for the men and women at the front and no home for them to return to. But today is not the day to discuss that.
No, today we remember those who put on the uniform and decided that their lives, though certainly important to them and their loved ones, were still less important than the cause they went to fight for. That there was something bigger than them, and that something was worth risking everything for.
If you ask a veteran, I’m willing to bet you that he’ll tell you that no such thought was in his head, that he simply went because “somebody had to do it” or because it was his duty. Veterans are a humble lot. Yet in his selfless answer the truth shines through. Somebody had to do it indeed, but who’s to say that “somebody” had to be him? “Duty” as well. Yes, it is indeed our duty to stand and fight for that in which we claim to believe, because if we’re not willing to fight for it, then we’re not worthy of having it in the first place. Freedom isn’t free.
But if duty is so self-explanatory, and indeed it is to most of us, then why wasn’t, and why isn’t everybody in uniform? Setting aside the practical reasons, obviously you still need the aforementioned homefront going, shouldn’t everybody at least volunteer for that duty?
Yet they don’t, and for good reasons too. This is not to diminish those who, for various reasons, feel with justification that they can do their duty better in other ways. It is to point out that still, in spite of that, some still stood up and said “OK, this one’s on me”, when quite a few of them could have found many good, just and logical reasons why it should be somebody else.
They went, and as a result somebody else didn’t have to. It doesn’t make the one any better than the other, we can all help in our own way, it just illustrates the sacrifice that they made, a sacrifice worth remembering and honoring.
Not just today, but all year long. But today is the day we have set aside for it, and set it aside to emphasize our commitment to never forget those brave souls and to always honor and return their love for us.
Thank you, all of you, for somehow finding us worth fighting for. Thank you for everything that you do and have done, for everything that you have done and are doing without, and rest assured that we will never forget that, that you will always have a place in our hearts.
Because you earned it.
G-d Bless You, and G-d Bless the United States of America.
Entries (RSS)
UT FIAT LIBERTAS!!! :em04:
November 11th, 2008 at 12:01 PMUsing
to all the vets here….Thank you and God bless you.
I didn’t serve, but worked as a contractor for the DoD for ten years. I spent time getting dirty in places like Ft. Hood and Ft. Knox and Ft. Leonard Wood and Grafenwohr and I have never EVER met a more dedicated, more intelligent, better quality of human being than I met while working with American service men and women…..you and they are by far the greatest that this country has to offer…..no question
November 11th, 2008 at 12:01 PMUsing
As a military brat, I’ve nothing but hard coded respect and admiration for those that have served and are serving.
Liberty is not without cost. While the Marines decided at the last minute that at 2% body fat and 286 pounds I was a touch to heavy for the Corps, It never made me take a different look at the incredible service the military has provided for us throughout the history of this Great Nation. I made up for it on the civilian side of things, sometimes it’s rough being a beast and even G-D didn’t get one of those spiffy Uniforms…
To steal a phrase, you vet’s are all Great American’s, and I am proud to know you. Service is a higher calling for sure. If you EVER get a chance, visit the VA in your area, and the Legion Outposts. Tell them personally if you have never done so or had the opportunity.
~Rex
p.s. On a minor down note, I would like to haul out the trash that represents the media here in the milwaukee area, and KEEL HAUL them with that wonderful new piece of naval Architecture (The USS FREEDOM) that was here this last weekend for Commissioning.
Those Lib Tards at the Urinal Sentinel and the Media family it belongs to, gave it about a two line notice, in a back page article about the Veterans Parade today. HISTORIC Event, covered up by the military hating weenies of the Blue State Regime.
Back on topic though, thank you, to the Vets, and to the Flag they stand for. Such words can never be enough for the cost they have paid.
~Rex :em04:
November 11th, 2008 at 12:14 PMUsing
here are the last;
November 11th, 2008 at 12:37 PMmy grandfather was a Marine in WW1. :em04:
Using
May God bless all Veterans, and keep them safe from harm. I thank God for all the veterans in my family who served and sometimes died for this country, from the Revolutionary War to Korea, and I salute those serving in Iraq today.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:38 PMUsing
ROUTER!! /blazingsaddles
November 11th, 2008 at 12:46 PMUsing
L C hilljohnny sez:
Hilljohnny…..was he at Belleau Wood by any chance? Hell of a story about the Marines clearing the MG nests there…..
November 11th, 2008 at 1:46 PMUsing
“sniff”
November 11th, 2008 at 2:20 PMUsing
@ jaybear, Colonel of Imperial Ancient Artillery:
November 11th, 2008 at 3:36 PMno idea, he would not talk about his service save that he started in the Army and wound up transfered to the Marines. i dont know how or why it happened.
since my previous post didn’t work;
Choules, Claude Stanley born 1901, English
Ross, John Campbell (Jack) b 1899, Australian
Goux, Fernand b. 1899, French
Picault, Pierre b.1899, French
Allingham, Henry William b. 1896, English
Hughes, Netherwood (Ned) b. 1900, English
Patch, Henry John (Harry) b. 1898, English
Stone, William Frederick (Bill) b.1900, English
Babcock, John Henry Foster (Jack) b 1900, Canadian
Buckles, Frank Woodruff b.1901, American
the last living veterans of WW1. :em69:
Using
:em04: :em04: :em04: thanks all vets-I love you :em69: :em93:
November 11th, 2008 at 4:05 PMUsing
Warrirors are a special breed. Their senses of duty, honor, loyalty, patritotism, and altruism often border on the divine. I feel very proud of my husband and of his nearly 15 years of military service to this great nation, especially today. I love you, honey! May the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand, and bring you safely home from Iraq.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:49 PMUsing
For our heroes, The Vets.
We are only here, because you were there.
From our little hometown parade, ‘couple years back.
November 11th, 2008 at 5:45 PMUsing
To put it simply, when I signed up so many years ago…I did it because I felt I owed my country something, in contrast to all the liberals feeling the country owed them something.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:29 PMUsing
Amen, thank you all for showing me I’m not alone in believing our service men and women deserve our respect, honor, and thanks, not being spat on like they receive all too often.
November 12th, 2008 at 12:40 AMUsing
My Father, Ray, Sgt, USMC, Korea, currently residing in the VA Cemetery, Quantico, VA.
My Step-Father, Jim, Sgt, USAF, Korea, currently residing in Layfayette Memorial Park, Fay, NC.
My Brother Mike, SMSgt, USAF, retired and still working,
I thank you all for your service to our country, and the many sacrifices that went with that.
Oh, for those that don’t know me, MSgt, USAF, retired, 26 years active duty, too many deployments to go into here. Why? See the above. I KNEW it was my duty!
To all the veterans out there, :em04: !
(Also note the number of NCOs in the family, none of those snooty officer types! :em01: )
November 12th, 2008 at 6:54 AMUsing
[...] que [...]
November 12th, 2008 at 10:24 AMUsing
@ LC&IB Vulcanrider:
Then :em93: I won’t call you sir, Sir. :em01:
November 12th, 2008 at 3:45 PMUsing