All during this holiday weekend I have heard, well intended, from the media in general comments and personal words of recalled awareness, "thank you". My response was "Don't thank me, thank the families of the ones that 'gave'. You can thank me on Veterans' Day. I came back."

I understand the need to say "thank you" to someone for the price paid for way of life we believe was so important that no price was too high. Because these people are not able to hear my feeble acknowledgement, I can only offer my thanks to the parents who raised a child with the courage and conviction to stand up to a threat for the rest of us. I thank the wives who could only stay and wait for their loved one until their life change forever. I thank the children who continued in life without the parent that went to secure a way of life they felt would enable you to reach every goal you both would share.

Today I thank the ones that gave ALL................... and the people that gave them.

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