Day 2

Saturday September 24, 2011

I know both this one and Sunday’s are coming in on Monday so shut it. Saturday I spent with one of my buddys (I’m not going to give his name here) and I got to see how he was doing since he got back from Iraq. He has a little bit of PTSD (you see why I won’t give his name), and so it was nice to spend the day relaxing with him and a large group of friends.

We had a barbeque, hung out in the park and played lazer tag, then we played a bit of HeroScape and ate dinner at his house. Just a fun kind of event. The whole day went pretty well.

Which is why I am grateful for our soldiers. It feels kind of weird saying that because I am one, but seeing how war affected my close friend and how hard even the simple things in life were for him to get used to made me realize how incredibly lucky we are as a nation to have so many good men and women willing to put their lives on the line to protect our freedom and the freedom of others who can never repay them.

Regardless of how you feel about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan you should support these men and women. They felt strongly enough about something that they were willing to put their whole life on hold, and in reality put their life on the line. At any moment out there they could die. I know that when I took the oath and left for basic training I felt that way. I knew that with my chosen MOS (Military Occupational Specialty aka Job) I will go into combat and I will fight and possibly die or kill my enemy.

A man, who in better circumstances, may have been my friend.

So my hat’s off to those brave souls who cared enough about something that they are willing to put their lives on the line for it so you don’t have to. These soldiers are the people who ensure that we maintain the right to oppose their purpose. People slander and insult them with curses on par with some of the greatest figures in history, but when a man shakes your hand and says, thank you for serving it all goes away.

If you understand taking a stand in something, and if you understand believing so strongly that you would not only die; that’s easy to do- dying is the easiest thing to do for a cause, but that you would kill for then you understand these men and women.

If not—shut the hell up, or shake their hand and say thank you.