Veterans: An honor to serve, and be thanked

“...The willingness with which our young people are likely to enlist in our armed forces and serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation...” – George Washington.

Although these words were spoken 236 years ago, they remain as true today as they were then.

A veteran is someone who, upon enlistment, wrote a blank check to the U.S. for an amount up to and including their life. (And lest I forget, every mother’s son or daughter who pinned on a badge or picked up a firehose.)

It is an honor, and there are far too many who do not understand that, nor care, and more’s the pity.

If you are reading this, thank a teacher. If you are reading this in English, thank a vet.

As a vet, I still choose America.