I stood and watched, with tears in my eyes, our ROTC students stand vigil at our American Flag. The dedicated soldiers stood at attention with their heads bowed reverently. The gusty wind blew leaves all around them. Old Glory waved proudly in the wind.
My father was a veteran of World War II as were MJ’s father and uncle. My step-father was a veteran of Korea. As I was growing up many of the people that I knew were being drafted to go to Vietnam. In our day many of us do not know what it is like to be touched by war. We do not understand the misery that a mother felt when she saw a military car pull up to the house and two soldiers emerging with news of her son or husband being killed in battle.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ‘We have nothing to fear…but fear itself.’ He made this statement during one of the most frightening times in our history.
For many years now we have sat at home by the comfort of our fireside and had others do our fighting and dying for us. More than one generation has lost touch with the ultimate sacrifice of ensuring Freedom with their minds and bodies. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is rampant in our Veteran Community.
History has shown us that the day will come again when all of us will feel the scourage of war and the terrible price that it inflicts on each participant. All the more reason that we should honor our precious Veterans…each and every day…for their sacrifice of service.
The Happy Traveler 
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