Blessed With Freedom

            At one point in my life it honestly didn’t matter to me that I was born and raised in America.  However, one day it occurred to me just how lucky I am to have lived my life in such an amazing country. It wouldn’t be this country today though without our veterans. I realized there were people who had impacted my life who were much more selfless, courageous, and honorable than anyone I had ever met.

            I think I developed my soft spot for the military when I spent a week at Pennsylvania’s state police “boot camp”. It really hit me at camp graduation when our drill sergeant got choked up because his son was leaving for the Middle East. When I went back to this camp a few years later as a counselor, the sacrifices the military men and women of this country make every day became even more evident. The young man who was once just my drill instructor I’ve come to regard as a dear friend.

            I asked Sgt. Reynolds once why there was pride serving in the United States military. He told me that today, less than 1% of the entire U.S. population serves in the armed forces. Sadly, less than 1% are willing to fulfill a selfless act such as joining. He said there is nothing else that a person can do to show how much he loves his country then be willing to lay down his own life for it. He also said that all of the men who died before him saw that our nation was worth dying for and took pride in keeping the country safe and free for the generations to come. They did this not for glory or recognition, but for others. There is pride in the military because some people truly do love this country and are willing to do anything for it.

            I got another taste of the sacrifice one makes joining the military in March 2013 when a marine from my hometown was killed during the explosion at the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada. I didn’t personally know him, but went to junior high with his fiancé. Hundreds of people from surrounding towns lined the streets to honor him during his funeral procession and to pay their respects. That sad time in our small town as well as the memories of him still today, show the amount of respect and honor people have for those who have served.

            For the past three months I’ve been living on the same floor as the Air Force ROTC learning community at Syracuse University. They are some of the greatest people I’ve gotten to know and friends I believe I’ll have for many more years.

When I asked them why they decided to become cadets they all echoed the same idea of wanting to give back to America and wanting to feel like they were making a difference in our country. Many of them come from military families with parents and grandparents who had served in either the Air Force or another branch, and they wanted to continue the tradition. They said that regardless of the duty they felt they had to their families who had served, they still felt they had a duty to their country. One told me that he realized it was a job that most people don’t want to do and he wanted to serve because he can make sure through it that people have a better life by the sacrifices he would make.

            I’ve really gotten to know these guys in the time spent together and I’ve come to regard them as basically brothers because we live together. What one of them said though really hit home for exactly what it means to be proud to be an American. He told me that to serve in the military you have to love this country as much as you love your life. He went out to say that to be able to join you have to be the person who tears up during the national anthem.

            The pride that he demonstrated in that statement was unbelievable. I never would’ve expected something like that coming from him but the military really does something to change a person’s outlook on how they view this country.

            Unfortunately some people think we should only honor those who have died. And many forget that there are 364 other days in the year that you can thank a service man or woman. Although Veterans Day means perhaps going a little more out of your way to show your thankfulness and respect, it shouldn’t be limited to just this day. All veterans deserve our upmost respect and thanks. Whether they be active duty, retired, reserves, or discharged, they still offered themselves to the United States. Without them, our lives wouldn’t be what they are today.  

            I’ve always had this thought in the back of my mind to one-day open a horse ranch for veterans to help them ease back into civilization after war and for injuries or medical problems that may have occurred while serving. That isn’t what I’m going to school for, but it has always been a nagging idea in the back of my mind.

I recently sat down and talked to a medically discharged marine who said his life went off the deep-end after doing a tour in Afghanistan. He shared with me that upon returning to the U.S. he was lost in life and became an alcoholic with no plans or goals. Much has changed since then and he now is married with a beautiful baby boy. I asked if he thought his life might have been different if he would’ve participated in some sort of equine therapy like I mentioned above. This man told me that equine therapy was not promoted upon his discharge but it would have been something that interested him and could have changed the path he took.

Unless something disastrous happens our country doesn’t seem to care. It takes tragedy to get people to notice and that doesn’t say much for our country. I want to open my ranch out of appreciation and respect to veterans. It’s the least I can do for all they’ve done for me.

            Today is a special day in our country. If you see someone who has dedicated their life to the United States, thank them. That small thank you goes such a long way.

To all who have dedicated their lives to protecting our country, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. Those simple worlds will never be enough to sincerely show our appreciation and gratitude.