Memorial Day.
Winding down now, a great weekend relaxing at the cabin. A three hour drive home, and it's time to start getting back in the groove for tomorrow. Check the email, check the websites, and start getting the to-do list organized. Three days away from my desk and there's a lot of catching up to do.
Got a phone call from a friend of my daughter. Not much to communicate, but it turns out he wanted to say thanks. Thanks for putting in the time, thanks for carrying the flag, thanks for standing in the gap. Thanks for serving.
We're vets, you see, and though we may not yet see ourselves as the 'old guys' in the parade, we served.
Been there, done that.
There are people out there, seems like precious few, but people out there none-the-less that are grateful for our service. Grateful there are 'veterans' who have laid it on the line, done a job that few know how to do, fewer still have the courage to do, and even fewer truly want to do.
But someone had to do it, and those someones were you and me. It may not have seemed like much at the time. Another day at sea, another Christmas away from home, another long walk down an empty pier, another watch stood, another log entry made.
It's easy to forget that we took the fight to the bad guys, and in the end, they couldn't call, they had to fold, and they had to pack it in. That was our doing, our contribution to the Cold War, and we took home the title. Didn't fix the world in the long term, but held it at bay for a while, a few more years for people like us to enjoy the freedom to make their own decisions, play their own hand, and enjoy their own life on their terms.
That's what my daughter's friend wanted to say. Nothing more, just thanks.
And now it's your turn.
Don't let the day go by without saying thanks to somebody who has served, somebody like us, somebody that made a stand, somebody who did what had to be done.
Let them know they are appreciated.
Let them know we will remember.
Let them know it's Memorial Day.
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