Mount Soledad Veteran's Memorial the morning of November 3, 2012.
I met one such veteran of Afghanistan last week at Mount Soledad. His name is Chad and he told us about a day in 2011 when his unit pushed into Helmund province. I can't do justice to his story, but to say this, those of us of who have not seen combat cannot understand the fear and horror these men overcome to keep moving and taking the fight to the enemy. On the day in question, he told us of multiple times that he heard God's voice directing his actions; and in ways to which he objected, but which saved his life three times over. He also said this, the men and women wounded in our wars who come back to face the reality of living with lost limbs and other damage, appreciate the efforts to help them find jobs, and become a part of society again. The Wounded Warrior project is one such organization, but there are literally thousands of individual efforts, many run by churches that are working to help the men and women who have suffered harm serving their country. I encourage everyone to find a way to help.
After Chad talked, we had a chance to look at some of the Veterans plaques on the walls at the memorial. They are generally donated by families of veterans. I know for a fact that some of the veterans who are so honored are pleased to see their family put a remembrance for them while they are still alive. My father in law, Ike, who saw service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam was a man of few words, but you could see how proud he was that his service was remembered.
Hope you had a great Veteran's day. I pray that we have fewer such wars in the future; but I know our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines will be ready.
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Wow. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Eugene Hetland for making it through Normandy and creating the life of my wife, Mrs. Dawg.
ReplyDeleteI also feel diminished when someone thanks me for my service. Like Eugene above, I also served in the 82nd Airborne, but I had nothing but fun.
No one was shooting at me for the entire 5 years. I never spent more than 3 weeks in the field. And best of all, they paid me an extra $55 a month to jump out of their airplanes.......when no one was shooting at me!
So thank you for the post and request for the reminder to be charitable for those who have truly served. The Wounded Warrior Project is a great foundation. And if you are an employer, the gene pool gets a lot better if you look to hire a Vet.