With Veterans Day right around the corner (depending on when you read this) I think it is most appropriate to fill this space with homage to our men and women of the armed services.
What is Veterans Day you ask? Well every year on November 11, the Federal Government of the United States recognizes and celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. Veterans Day also marks the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I.
What does all this mean to you and me? It means we need to slow down for a moment, sit back and acknowledge these fine men and women. Then we need to go out, find a veteran and simply say “Thank You.” Maybe buy them a cup of coffee or let them step in front of you in line.
And there’s no need to track down an Audie Murphy (look him up – it’s a great story). People like him are rare breeds who are placed on this Earth to give regular human beings like us a benchmark to strive for. While those super-soldiers may make great headlines, it is the countless servicemen and women who get the job done on a daily basis.
Take for instance, D-Day (The allied invasion of Normandy, better known as Operation Overlord). We didn’t successfully storm the beaches of Normandy and change the tide of the war because one shining soldier accomplished miraculous feats. We achieved success because a few hundred thousand regular soldiers accomplished a monumental feat. But that monumental feat came at a cost and the cost was American lives. During the course of the battle, 135,000 troops gave their lives and limbs to secure democracy and stop tyranny.
As I write this editorial and reflect on the courage that our troops have summoned upon command, my heart fills with pride for the Red, White and Blue. So whether they were hundreds of thousands of combat ready G.I.’s storming the beaches of Normandy, or the elite members of Seal Team Six taking out Osama Bin Laden earlier this year, they deserve our recognition, our respect, our gratitude and our thanks.
From the staff and family of Saratoga TODAY we send out a big and sincere Thank You. Thank you for your service; Thank you for your sacrifice; Thank you for standing guard against foreign invaders; Thank you for ridding the world of evil men and women; Thank you for spending many a day hungry and many a night cold so that we could sleep safely in the comfort of our homes. Thank you for serving in the United States military.
