It is easy, even within a time of war, to take those proudly serving within the U.S. military for granted. After all, we do not see them every day. They rarely appear outside our television sets and make even rarer appearances upon our movie screens. Chances are, those serving within our Navy, Air Force, Marines, Army, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves are as foreign to our expectations, as are the generals of Demetrius. This is sad, for each one of them performs a job unlike anything that you can imagine.

    Last Tuesday, precisely one week ago in fact, our nation heralded in the election of Barack Obama to the presidency as soon-to-be our forty-fourth commander-in-chief. This was a historic occasion. Senator Obama rose from abject poverty to await our nation’s highest office. I commend him for that. However, with nothing personal against Mr. Obama, I extend just a bit more respect to the lowliest airman, Marine, sailor, or soldier from any period in our nation’s history. Why? Because without these who truly sacrificed their time and, more often than we care to admit, their lives, there would be no opportunity for Senator Barack Obama to ascend to the presidency.

    Our freedoms and our liberties were ensured by those who served, both in times of war and during periods of relative “peace�? to keep our adversaries from destroying the very fabric of our culture. We cannot imagine what these fine men and women go through today, let alone those who served decades or even centuries in the past. Could a sailor serving aboard a sleek Aegis-class cruiser understand what it was like to stand engine room watches within a steamy, 140° environment? Could today’s Marine understand what it was like to go weeks or months without resupply or close air support? Conversely, could yesterday’s soldier have dreamed of the level of weaponry offered to today’s foot soldier? Could eighteenth century Marines have grasped the concept of instant data communications?

    Despite these astronomical differences, all soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines of all eras share a common bond: an intense love of country and an admirable sense of duty. Civilians, for example, have the luxury of staying at home whenever we become too ill to work. Not in the military. Once, while standing a roving security watch aboard my first ship, I not only became very sick, I had to clean up the mess before I continued with my rounds. ;o) If that does not teach you something about work ethics, nothing in civilian life ever could.

    When my late father served within the Army Air Corps during WWII, he received a grand pay of $50 per month. When I served within the Navy forty years later, I received about $940 per month, including sea pay. Today, thanks largely to President George W. Bush; our military makes a bit more money. However, no amount of money can inspire people to lay down their lives for their fellow countrymen as do those who proudly wear the uniform of the United States of America. In an election year where the “haves�?and the “have-nots�?were classified accordingly to strict personal interpretations, we fully ignored the most important group of citizens �?the “gaves�?

    Our veterans and military personnel simply gave of their lives and make sacrifices unheard of within modern society. No other group of people have devoted so much of their time, their hobbies, time away from families, and chances at lucrative careers for so little in return. We should not honor them merely with Veterans Day but with Veterans Year, Veterans Decade, and Veterans Century to boot.

    To be a bit romantic and therefore wax poetically, when I wore my simple Navy uniform, I sometimes felt as if it were a suit of finely polish armor. It was my personal statement to all of the thugs and tyrants of the world that I was just one solitary block in the wall against evil and injustice; but that the wall was immensely large and powerful and all of us serving made sure that no one would destroy our homeland. Today, those fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Philippines, and points too numerous to mention are simply shoring up the wall that I remained part of thirty years ago and my father served as part of sixty years ago and countless others comprised since America decided that freedom and liberty were the foundations for a bright future.

    No mere words could therefore ever adequately extend my appreciation to all who serve and who have served. Many of my fellow classmates send in their assignments from the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others are joining me in improving our commitment to the military long after we had left active duty. Civilians will therefore have to excuse me for a tiny bit of bigotry �?military people, past and present, are the one group that I single out for preferential appreciation.

GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE!