It's a solemn day of remembrance.
We remember today the sacrifices of our veterans through world wars and other missions where American military have gone to preserve our freedoms.
In our family of six siblings, the first person who comes to mind is our brother Mike, the oldest.
At 18 years old, he climbed aboard a train in Spokane, Wash., bound for West Point and the U.S. Military Academy.
Mike graduated from the academy in 1966 in the same class documented by Washington Post reporter and author Rick Atkinson in his monumental book The Long Gray Line.
Our brother served two tours in Vietnam. During the second mission in 1972, while piloting a Cobra helicopter, he was shot down by a Surface to Air Missile aka SAM.
With that shootdown, he and his co-pilot Marco Cordan earned the distinction of being the first Americans to survive a SAM attack.
Forty years later, he published a book recounting his personal experience as an American soldier.
Outside our immediate family, we have all heard or read the stories of friends, students and those we'll never know who have paid their individual prices for the freedoms that we so enjoy and often take for granted.
I do believe that, on this 100th anniversary of the end to the "War to end all Wars," we are fully aware that the hopeful phrase soon became a misnomer as wars have continued to break out around the world and probably will continue to do so as long as we humans inhabit this planet.
A sad fact, indeed.
We, as Americans are also fully aware that since World War I, our soldiers have continued to go off to war and have sacrificed in the name of freedom.
We are at a time in our history where many of our freedoms that we hold so dear are enduring tests like many of us have seldom seen in our lifetimes.
We sincerely hope that these freedoms survive and pass the tests that elements of our society, now governing from the top, have put forth in day-to-day actions.
Yes, it is a solemn day of remembrance, but it is also a day to remember that those freedoms we Americans so appreciate and regard so seriously DO, and should have, a lighter side.
First, I extend a deep felt thanks to all veterans.
And, today, I send a very special thanks to the veteran featured in the link below who reminds us of simple, meaningful acts that we can and should practice as Americans: forgiveness and an ability to find ways to come together.
I hope that his personal sacrifice as an American soldier and that his words uttered in last night's SNL comedy segment resound throughout our nation and that we can follow the example seen in this comedy script.
His participation in the skit is humorous but oh so serious!
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/416096-snls-pete-davidson-apologizes-on-set-to-gop-veteran-candidate
No comments:
Post a Comment