Today as we remember all those that have fallen in defense of this country I thought it would be appropriate to share this story.
When I was 18 I had the privileage of going to Washington D.C. and seeing the amazing monuments there. One of those monuments was the Vietnam Memorial. I have always been fascinated by Vietnam as I was born 6 months to day after the fall of Siagon. I started at the beginning and made my way towards the end, when I was about a quarter of the way in I stopped and looked at the names, laying at the bottom was a poem that someone had left. I picked it up and read it. It was a poem written by a young man serving in Vietnam, in this poem he told why he was there. He felt that because someone had died so that he could be free he needed to fight so that others could have the same freedoms that he had. He died three days after writing this poem. When I finished reading the poem I noticed that there was a crowd around me and not a dry eye between them. Someone asked what his name was and so I told them. I then looked up at the wall and my eyes fell on his name almost immediately.
I never knew Private Santiago Torres Jr but his poem forever changed the way that I looked at our soldiers. Their sacrifice means the world to me, and whenever I see a soldier whether he is in uniform and currently serving or has retired and is wearing a hat that says veteran I always go out of my way to say thank you.
So today we are saying thank you to those that didn’t come home. The men that died on Utah and Omaha Beach, in the trenches of Europe, in the Jungles of Vietnam, in the Pacific, in the deserts and mountains of Iraq and Afghanistan, at Gettysburg and Bull Run, and those that fought in that first war were we gained our independence. We thank you for your sacrifice.
Here are some pictures of the various memorials and some soldiers paying tribute to fallen comrades….
I do that too! I have for years. My Army son always says, “You dont have to do that for every one you see, mom.” I tell him that yes, I do. When we were at Ft Sill for his basic training graduation, you can imagine. Soldiers everywhere, in groups. But I always stopped to say thank you, it does matter, to me anyway. I think it matters to them too. When my son left Ft Sill, he called us from the airport, “Mom, I just had my first person stop to shake my hand and tell me thank you for serving.” He wasnt excited, he was humbled. Very quiet and appreciative. Many times since then, it has happened. Many times, a stranger has bought his meal. Often times, without telling him they were doing it. In airports or near his base. He still tells me I dont have to do it every time. But I do.
We went to dc 2 years ago and every single place was incredible. It was the most amazing trip. I have to say the Korean memorial struck me. So real, hard to look at. And the engraved wall…Freedom is not Free.
We are so blessed here to have such brave, strong, smart men and women that volunteer! Its not expected. They volunteer.
God Bless Them All!