I was standing in line at Starbucks when I overheard a young girl (around 4 or 5, I would guess) ask her dad about a man wearing a ‘funny hat’. He responded ‘it just means he was in the navy or something’. The man in question was an elderly gentleman proudly wearing a baseball cap that said ‘Retired Marine’. As we were standing waiting for our coffee, I asked him about his military background and he said he is a 3rd generation Marine, giving 30 years to military service. We sat and I was happy to listen to his stories, some of which dated back to the Korean War.
Regardless of political affiliation, religious beliefs, profession, etc. Veteran’s Day is a day to be grateful for the sacrifices that have been made by our men and women who have donned uniform to serve our country. Not only are our service members asked to give more and more (longer, more frequent deployments), but also face a populace in which anti-military sentiments are common.
Having grown up in a third-world country in the midst of a civil war, where suspicion was given equal weight as facts, I know firsthand that freedom isn’t free. Regardless of my opinions about Obama, today, and everyday, I give thanks to those who selflessly serve for principles and values that transcend all.
“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” George Orwell
Greg Swann says:
Thanks for this, Alex. I think I want to watch “The 300” tonight. No Leonidas, no Socrates. Pretty easy math — if you’re lucky enough to have Leonidas on your side.
November 11, 2010 — 6:15 pm
John says:
Powerful. Sad that most have no idea what this truly means.
November 12, 2010 — 7:05 am
Tom Johnson says:
“if you’re lucky enough to have Leonidas on your side.”
For all of our brief history, we have.
November 12, 2010 — 7:05 am
Greg Swann says:
> For all of our brief history, we have.
The best argument you can make to me about the existence of an engineer is how incredibly lucky the human race has been, again and again. Not all of us, of course, and not all the time. But the individualist idea has made it through some pretty tight spots, Thermopylae being one of the tightest.
November 12, 2010 — 7:11 am
Andrew Gouty says:
The scenario that played out in your Starbucks is one that I think is going to be replicated as long as there are marines to fight wars. Some will be educated and appreciate their sacrifices, others will ignore blatantly. We can only encourage those marines to keep wearing their funny hats, I guess.
November 12, 2010 — 12:22 pm