Thank You

To all those serving, in dangerous places and even not so dangerous places. I say THANK YOU. To all those who gave their lives, an arm, a leg, both legs, who gave their heart and soul and were left with tortured minds. I say THANK YOU. To every member of our armed forces who's served with dignity and honor, I say THANK YOU.

My family is a family of veterans. My father, step-father, uncles, cousins, brother, husband, brother-in-laws, and son have all served in the armed forces. Most were Army, a few Marines, and one Navy and one Air Force. All of them with the exception of my nephew and my son, served in combat. I was first a military brat, then a military wife, and finally a military Mom. To say I understand the life of the military would be an understatement.

There are those who would say that if I do not support the President, or the war in Iraq that I do not support the troops. These people somehow have the misguided concept that if I am not "pro-war" that by default I do not want the troops to win in Iraq. They are wrong. No matter what my feelings about the President, or the war, I want not only our troops but our country to be victorious.

Today I ask my husband who himself served in the first Gulf War, how could we best show our support for the troops. He was quiet for a moment then he said, "Make sure their service and their sacrifice is never forgotten and never taken for granted, and that Americans really understand what war is."

"What war really is."
I'll let Bob Geiger's words speak for me.
it's not the toy-soldier, "bring-it-on" thrill that your protected, sheltered experience would lead you to believe. It is terrifying. You're scared to death, shoot at almost anything that moves and pray to whatever deity you worship that you live see tomorrow."
***
"On this night, somewhere in Western Iraq near the Syrian border, in a fighting hole with a tarp pulled over them so the light from the match used as a birthday candle won't show, two Marines, tired, dirty, smelly, maybe scared, cut a piece of MRE pound cake with a K-Bar fighting knife. The first piece goes to a 21 year old Corporal, the second to an 18 year old PFC. Even out on the sharp end, Marines will do this small thing in honor of those who have gone before, and each other.[
Gore]

And so tonight I will light this small candle, to honor those who have served and those who continue to do so.

May God bless and protect those who serve

[Note: I know this is late, but today has been, well, difficult.]