I was going to post this on Memorial Day, but decided it needed to come out sooner.
I wrote this originally for my father, adapted it later for my son, and now I’m releasing it for my friends Tom and Greg, and the rest of you who are veterans or have them in your lives. As a generalization, most veterans don’t really talk about what they’ve seen or done, and this can sometimes lead to being under-appreciated.
Tom served almost eight years as an Air Force cop, and he posted on his FB page one of his experiences during the fall of Saigon in 1975, specifically his role during the evacuations of Operation Babylift. Few people know this part of Tom’s story, and it’s not mine to further tell here.
It does come back to the phrase “Thank you for your service,” though. and my view on it.
When I use my military ID to gain a discount for goods, the people often say: “Thank you for your service.” Most of these people have never served, and although I know they mean well, do they really know what “to serve” means.
When my father was in the Army, the world was only ten years away from WWII, still freshly recovering from the Korean Conflict, and quietly slipping into conflicts in SE Asia. My father-in-law was also active during these times, including the Cuban Missile Crisis. My son served during the Global War on Terrorism. The level of uncertainty they each faced must have been tremendous.
Shortly after I retired from the Air Force in 1992, one of the first questions people used to ask was did I go to the Desert, meaning did I deploy during Desert Storm. “No, I didn’t…” “Oh, well then, I guess we don’t have much to talk about….”
But wait a minute: so, what about my time helping win the Cold War, guarding nuclear bombers and missiles, spending time away from my family on deployments, working to deter the Russians from coming across the Rhine and into Europe? “That was different,” they said. They were right; we didn’t have much to talk about.
I soon came to realize these people were wrapped up in the glory of war, never understanding that spending hours looking through the sights of a rifle didn’t mean we wanted to pull the trigger or because we trained for months in tanks and armored personnel carriers, that we wanted to run into the enemy…and just because we deployed to defend other countries didn’t mean the people wanted us to be there. Service is not glory; it is selflessness and sometimes, sacrifice.
Tom and Greg, I’m proud to be linked in service with you, my other brothers and sisters in arms, and my immediate family members and clan relatives who served. You all so richly deserve any recognition you may get. George Patton said it best: "Freedom has a taste, and for those who have fought for it, the taste is so sweet the protected will never know."
Enjoy this time and remember that I love you, not for what you’ve done, but for who you are.
Best regards to all, and let’s be safe out there.
