In the photo below JFK, President and combat veteran, was speaking to our USNA Class of 1967 during our Plebe Summer on August 1, 1963. We had reported to the Academy just a few weeks earlier on June 26, thus beginning our four-year grind as Midshipmen. This was, of course, a necessary prelude to the careers that many would follow. Sadly, President Kennedy died just a few months later in Dallas.
Normally I don’t do this, but a Naval Academy classmate, Bruce Wright, posted the following on FaceBook today, so I decided to share it. It pretty much sums up what many of us experienced back in 1967 and in the years that followed. It’s a bit “stream-of-consciousness” but tells the story well.
—————————
We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure. We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives. We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew. We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth. We found new friends and a new family. We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race, or creed. We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times. We didn’t get enough sleep. We smoked and drank too much. We picked up both good and bad habits. We worked hard and played harder. We didn’t earn a great wage. We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events. We didn’t know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again. We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all. We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.
Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn’t. Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn’t. Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare. We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical. We participated in time-honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie. We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all. We have dealt with victory and tragedy. We have celebrated and mourned. We lost a few along the way. When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new, and some of us never came home at all. We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.
A bunch of us: Navy and Marine helicopter pilots
We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will understand. We speak highly of our own branch of service and poke fun at the other branches. We know, however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat. Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away. It has no monetary value, but at the same time, it is a priceless gift. People see a Veteran and they thank them for their service. When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not.
So, from myself to the rest of the veterans out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for your country. Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times. Share your stories. But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a Veteran. I’m a VETERAN! If you are a Veteran, please Stand Tall and Proud.
—————————————
And let me add just a thought: to all the veterans who read Bruce’s words, be thankful that God gave you the opportunity to serve others. You and I survived, but that was God’s doing, not ours. But through it all, we were willing to do as Jesus reminded us: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” [Jn 15:13]. When you come right down to it, that’s what we were all willing to do. Blessings and God’s Peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment