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.
