Tomorrow is a day to recognize the sacrifice and dedication our veterans of the U.S. Military have made. Their sacrifice and the cost of their service is unquantifiable, but a token of thanks goes along way to show our veterans how much we appreciate what they have done to ensure we not only have the freedom to pursue our dreams, but we also can live without fear of being attacked in our own back yard.
I’d like to take the time in this post to point out how easy it is to overlook the negative impact serving in the military can sometimes have on our fellow citizens. The video above shows how a local mission organization is helping to get veterans back on their feet. The problem is that the federal government is so big, many veterans fall through the cracks while transitioning back into civilian life. The military is more than just a job, it’s a culture. Veterans become so ingrained in that culture, so used to being taken care of by that culture, that when they are separated, a gigantic hole is left unfilled. It can almost feel like being a prodigal son exiled from his family. That is why it is important for us to make sure we take care of our veterans, especially when they part ways with the military and come back home.
Take some time tomorrow and think of all the veterans you know. Especially if they are family!! Don’t let them go throughout tomorrow without being shown the proper gratitude for their sacrifice. Take advantage of all the local businesses that are offering free meals and take a veteran out to lunch or dinner. Check out this link for a list of many of the local businesses that are saluting our veterans! If you don’t have time for dinner, even a phone call will say a lot.
If you don’t have anyone in your family who is a veteran, consider volunteering your time with your local veterans service organization like the VFW, Foreign Legion, or even the people above who produced the video in this story, Dégagé Ministries.
Lastly I just want to say thank you to my brother Steven Wilson who has sacrificed two years away from his son to serve two tours of duty in Afghanistan as part of the U.S. Army Reserve. Having a son of my own now, I can only imagine how hard it must have been to be away for so long. I love you brother and thank you so much for your service!