Veteran's Day

For many, Veteran's Day is looked upon as just a day off work.  The significance of the day gets easily lost in the fast pace of life yet it is those very people  that have made it possible for us in this country to go about our daily lives with relative freedom and security.

Depsite almost 30 years of military service, I too have been quilty of losing track of what this day truely means.  It particularly hits home when you have personnel losses within your organization whether you closely knew the person or not.  It is truely a brotherhood that exists between Soldiers and all feel the loss.  Shared experiences create lasting bonds that many will never understand.

On this day, I thnk about those families who have lost loved ones.  About the Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors who have given so much to serve.  The time away from their family and for many, the physical and/or emotional scars they will carry with them the remainder of their lives.  And yes, the general BS that all military personnel have to put up with.

We have yet another generation of young men and women who have experienced the effects of war.  It is a very sad statement on mankind that as long as prejudice and greed (whether for money, power or contol) exists we seem destined to have conflicts.

So as I wait for sunrise to go birding this morning, I will enjoy my freedom to be secure that I can walk about freely.  I will put out the flag to show my appreciation and respect to veterans past and current.  Mid-morning I will head down to Ft. Bragg for a special exhibit that runs through today. 

"For those who fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know."

"All gave some, some gave all"