Grunt Posted June 1, 2010 Report Posted June 1, 2010 Click here to see Gruntraq's original blog post... Memorial Day has a very deep meaning for me. If there is one regret in my life that is stronger than any other it is that I didn't give myself to my country in military service when I was of the age. In my case it was because my head was too messed up and I had too many brushes with the law, I could not back then. I have always had a deep and loving respect for our men in uniform that goes well beyond sexual appetite. In my life I have known and been close friends with many men in the military and have always been a little bit jealous of the life they have led and the service they have given their lives to. What I have come to know about the fine and courageous people who wear the uniform is that beneath the case hardened, sharp and aggressive shell they have been trained to have, they are people just like you and me. They love, they fear and they ultimately need the love of others. They need our respect and our appreciation not only for their sacrifices, but they need our understanding and compassion once they come home. Whether you are for or against our current wars or past ones, that is not really relevant my point here. There are fine men and women who have taken orders to go to places most of us would never dare. They have taken orders to knowingly walk into the meat grinder knowing they might not come out. And many as we know have not. Many more have come back unwhole. I have a neighbor, a man in the US Army who is fighting over there right now. He of course to me is a strapping stud who personifies the military GI in every way visually. But I know him. I know his wife, and their small child who plays in the street with the other kids. I know that he misses his family dearly as he is gone. I know his wife and child miss him, but also fear the day that they get the call telling them they will never see him again. While I have only shared a beer or two with him and said hello a few times, I fear that day as well. To my point, this day as I remember our fallen men and women my heart breaks and I shed a tear. It humbles me to know there are so many fine thousands of our best and brightest out there right now risking their asses so we can sit here in our freedom and do whatever we want with ours. So today as you might enjoy a BBQ with friends or family, pontificate about whatever you believe, or just laze away another free day off work, please take a moment to remember why it is. If you know or see a military member or their family today, do that random act of kindness thing and let them know you appreciate them. More...
Recommended Posts