By Jade Meinzer
Have you ever looked at the flag of our country and truly thought about what that flag means to you? I look at the stars and bars and I see a country that stands for freedom, freedom from oppression, freedom to raise a family the way my wife and I see fit, freedom to go to the church I chose on Sunday mornings, and the freedom to stand up for the things that I believe in. I look at our flag and I think back to the times where it still flew proudly despite the hell of war around it. I look at our flag and I see the men and women who proudly served in the armed forces to defend our freedom both at home and around the world.
Our veterans deserve nothing but our highest respect for their service. Thankfully, many of us do not understand the hell that war is thanks to the brave men and women who proudly served. We get to go to bed at night in a warm dry bed with a roof over our head to keep out the snow and the cold. Throughout history, time and again our fighting men and women have spent many a night in a muddy hole in the ground as bombs burst over the top of their heads. We get to wake up and enjoy a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee, our soldiers might be thankful for a drink of three day old water from a canteen.
This veteran’s day, I challenge all my fellow countrymen to remember the sacrifices made by those that have gone before us. Stand up and be proud when you shake the hands of a veteran. Freedom isn’t free, that’s a fact that is proven by the thousands of marble headstones all across this country and on the blood stained soil of foreign nations where we fought oppression. Veteran’s day isn’t about parades and not being able to send a letter because the post office is closed, it’s about celebrating those that chose to put their country above their own life.
Why is veterans day on the 11th of November? Originally it was called Armistice Day. A day to celebrate the war that was to end all wars, World War I. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, The Great War came to an end. Can you imagine that shots were fired and men were still being wounded or killed up until the order to cease fire at 11 in the morning was given? War is hell on earth. Movies glamorize glory and make it seem like something that it isn’t. I have never seen the horrors of war, and I pray that I never will. I am thankful for the Veterans in our country that have been through hell, made it out on the other side and are able to be celebrated on this special day.
Thank a veteran this week. Shake their hand and tell them that you appreciate their sacrifice. While you are celebrating our veterans, call your congressmen and senators and tell them to get back to work. Our veterans didn’t fight for freedom so they could hold the people hostage while they bicker. That’s all for this time, remember to keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire and God bless.