This Veterans Day has a slightly different feel than past Veterans Day.
Maybe it is because there seems to be an abundance of television Public Service Announcements honoring the men and women who have, and are, serving this country. Maybe because there are all sorts of Veterans Day observances across the web. Maybe it is because the United States is presently fighting two wars on foreign soil. Maybe it’s because this nation just suffered a horrible slaughter on one of its largest domestic military installations.
Whatever the reason, this Veterans Day brings out feelings which probably should have been shown and felt everyday throughout the year. Not since the end of World War II have veterans and military personnel been given the ovation they deserve. Maybe it is because the US military has been brought into unpopular wars ... Korea, Vietnam, Iraq.
However, it’s not the war which is to be supported. Instead, it is the men and women in uniform. They are the ones who have volunteered to serve. They are the ones who have left their family and friends at home to stand on foreign soil. They are the ones who have agreed to risk their lives in order to keep freedom alive in the United States and to keep democracy working. From officers to enlisted personnel, from Gen. George Washington to Gen. George W. Casey Jr, the goal is the same ... “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
On this day in November the United States recognizes the men and women who have worn the uniform of its military. And on the other 364 days of the year, each and every citizen should thank the members of the military for their service in protecting the American way of life.
... or so this news junkie thinks!
Special thanks to Marshall Ramsey for allowing me to use his editorial cartoon. Marshall is a two-time Pulitzer finalist and nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist. He is also my Facebook friend.
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