Honoring Our Veterans

Veteran’s Day means a lot to me because I am a veteran.  I joined the United States Army in 1987 because I had no real way to pay for college.  While I was in basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood to become a Mechanized Combat Engineer something happened to me.  I saw a military base react to a real war threat against the Iranian government.  I saw the base become a beehive of activity preparing for a possible war.  I saw the pride and patriotism of country in real time.  It changed me.  I became patriotic for the first time in my life.  I was young, so it may have been that I was just busy being a kid before all of this, but it was unmistakable to me.  There was a before and after for me.  

As you take some time to thank or think about our veterans think about the sacrifice they are they are making on our behalf.  We have seen, recently with the taking out of Iran’s nuclear production facilities, our military being used for the greater good of the United States and the world.  These are dangerous missions that require endless training and time away.  The missions are dangerous and our people will face very real danger.  Heck, I used to tell my soldiers that waking up wrong in the Army can get you killed if you weren’t careful.  

As we celebrate Veterans Day I’m going to pray for our current fighting force and also for our retired veterans who continue to battle with trauma they experienced while in the service of our country.  If you have a chance, reach out to a veteran and take them to lunch or dinner and listen to what they have to say.  There is a wealth of expertise and experience to glean and also some struggle to fight through.   It’s more important than ever that we appreciate what these men and women have done for us.  

David A. Szafranski