Cool Post
Hey I just wanted to share this with you, not because I think you need it but because you may know someone who needs to read it.
Who do veterans think they are? Here’s an answer
Laurel A. Olmsted
I once overheard a young man exclaim, “Veterans, who do they think they are?”
Was he a protester carrying a sign? No.
Was he someone who had been wronged by a veteran? No.
He simply had discovered that his mail might not be delivered on Veterans Day.
I don’t know who I am more upset with, the mother who didn’t say anything to her son, or myself, for not telling this guy just who veterans think they are.
So I decided to write something I can hand to someone should the question ever arise again. This is a partial list of all that our military has done and is doing for us.
“Veterans, who do they think they are?”
They are the men and women who live every day in pain.
Physical pain from their wounds, lost limbs or maybe it’s the shrapnel they still carry.
Emotional pain from being separated from their families for long periods of time, for missing the birth of a child or death of a parent.
Mental pain for what they have seen and what they had to do. Pain from knowing that they would have died for you, and you are not wise enough to know you should care. They are the ones who make lifelong friends. They know how precious life is and who didn’t make it back. Never. That is why you will see veterans at the cemetery on Memorial Day walking around silently thanking the ones who are buried there. They don’t have to know them personally to know the sacrifice each one made.
They are the ones who are loud and boisterous. They are the ones who are quiet.
They are the ones who shivered in the foxhole, trying to keep the enemy at bay.
They are the ones who crawled through the sand when it was 126 degrees.
They are the ones who carried their buddy to safety.
They are the ones who drink too much, trying to keep the memories from haunting them.
They are the ones who carry the flag with honor.
They are the ones who wear their uniforms with pride and still have it in their closet 30 years later.
They are the ones who don’t ask you to go out of your way for them.
They are the ones who have gone out of their way for you.
They are the ones who spent many nights awake on guard duty so you didn’t have to.
They are the ones who helped keep our shores safe while you played video games.
They are the ones who missed their birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates.
They are the ones who got shot and got sent home, but felt guilty because their buddies still were there.
They are the ones who followed orders even when they didn’t want to.
They are the ones who had enough love and pride in their country to do a job many others couldn’t do.
They are the ones who stepped up when the call went out.
They are the ones who ate MREs until they were sick of them.
They are the ones who cried “medic” at the top of their lungs, though they couldn’t even hear their own voice.
They are the ones who when they were alone in their tent.
They are the ones who flew planes, drove tanks, worked a ship, and armed the missiles.
They are the ones who had moms at home praying for them every minute of every day.
They are the ones who made it safe for you so you could go to school or work.
They are the ones who missed ordering pizza, the movies, the shopping trips and all you take for granted.
They are the ones who asked to take a friend’s deployment because that friend had a family.
They are the ones who gave their girlfriends a lock of their hair as a promise of their return.
They are the ones who wanted to come home.
They are the ones who didn’t return.
They are the ones who waited months for a letter.
How can you not wait one day?
God bless our veterans.
Laurel A. Olmsted is the wife of a veteran and the proud mother of two veterans.
I just wish all the candle light vigils would stop it just angers and hurts those of us here.
Who do veterans think they are? Here’s an answer
Laurel A. Olmsted
I once overheard a young man exclaim, “Veterans, who do they think they are?”
Was he a protester carrying a sign? No.
Was he someone who had been wronged by a veteran? No.
He simply had discovered that his mail might not be delivered on Veterans Day.
I don’t know who I am more upset with, the mother who didn’t say anything to her son, or myself, for not telling this guy just who veterans think they are.
So I decided to write something I can hand to someone should the question ever arise again. This is a partial list of all that our military has done and is doing for us.
“Veterans, who do they think they are?”
They are the men and women who live every day in pain.
Physical pain from their wounds, lost limbs or maybe it’s the shrapnel they still carry.
Emotional pain from being separated from their families for long periods of time, for missing the birth of a child or death of a parent.
Mental pain for what they have seen and what they had to do. Pain from knowing that they would have died for you, and you are not wise enough to know you should care. They are the ones who make lifelong friends. They know how precious life is and who didn’t make it back. Never. That is why you will see veterans at the cemetery on Memorial Day walking around silently thanking the ones who are buried there. They don’t have to know them personally to know the sacrifice each one made.
They are the ones who are loud and boisterous. They are the ones who are quiet.
They are the ones who shivered in the foxhole, trying to keep the enemy at bay.
They are the ones who crawled through the sand when it was 126 degrees.
They are the ones who carried their buddy to safety.
They are the ones who drink too much, trying to keep the memories from haunting them.
They are the ones who carry the flag with honor.
They are the ones who wear their uniforms with pride and still have it in their closet 30 years later.
They are the ones who don’t ask you to go out of your way for them.
They are the ones who have gone out of their way for you.
They are the ones who spent many nights awake on guard duty so you didn’t have to.
They are the ones who helped keep our shores safe while you played video games.
They are the ones who missed their birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates.
They are the ones who got shot and got sent home, but felt guilty because their buddies still were there.
They are the ones who followed orders even when they didn’t want to.
They are the ones who had enough love and pride in their country to do a job many others couldn’t do.
They are the ones who stepped up when the call went out.
They are the ones who ate MREs until they were sick of them.
They are the ones who cried “medic” at the top of their lungs, though they couldn’t even hear their own voice.
They are the ones who when they were alone in their tent.
They are the ones who flew planes, drove tanks, worked a ship, and armed the missiles.
They are the ones who had moms at home praying for them every minute of every day.
They are the ones who made it safe for you so you could go to school or work.
They are the ones who missed ordering pizza, the movies, the shopping trips and all you take for granted.
They are the ones who asked to take a friend’s deployment because that friend had a family.
They are the ones who gave their girlfriends a lock of their hair as a promise of their return.
They are the ones who wanted to come home.
They are the ones who didn’t return.
They are the ones who waited months for a letter.
How can you not wait one day?
God bless our veterans.
Laurel A. Olmsted is the wife of a veteran and the proud mother of two veterans.
I just wish all the candle light vigils would stop it just angers and hurts those of us here.