At Thanksgiving our thoughts invariably turn toward our men and women in uniform when they are in harm’s way somewhere in the world.
Our current all-volunteer armed forces is the most effective that our nation has ever seen, but compared to the eras of WWII, Korea and Vietnam, today’s military is further removed from society at large than ever. During conscript days most citizens had a father, brother, uncle or cousin in uniform - whereas today's ubiquitous motto “support our troops” has become an abstract theme for many.
And it’s a theme which is used at every turn by our politicians as they attempt to promote/defeat whatever partisan bill congress happens to be debating at the time. I understand that most Americans who have a “support our troops” ribbon stuck on their bumper do so through genuine solidarity with our military, but it is a slogan that I’ve personally grown to dislike. It is rarely spoken with sincerity by our representatives in Washington, and generally translates into a show of support for a particular position on the ongoing war, not (as it purports) for those who have to fight it.
I’m a veteran, but I’ve opted to keep the bumper of my car slogan-free. So in lieu of a magnetic ribbon, here are three faces and stories of soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Real faces, names and stories.
I choose these three simply because they’re three people who happened to be close to me – family or West Point company-mates. But their stories are no more important than those of the thousands of other soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have given their lives. Thinking about them today helps me remember how much I truly have to be thankful for. Thank you.
