As Memorial Day in the US is now over, let me take a quick break from my normal format to thank all of the past, present, and future members of the United States military for their service to our nation and then personal sacrifice. (For my readers outside the US, Memorial Day is a holiday set aside to remember and revere all of the millions of men and women who have been killed in the line of military duty throughout the history of our country. It also bears noting the United States military is a strictly volunteer force.)
As I attended my umpteenth Indianapolis 500 this past Sunday and watched pickup truck after pickup truck full of active service members make laps around the hallowed grounds of the Brickyard, where they were saluted by hundreds of thousands of race fans, it really occurred to me that, despite their cheesy grins and over animated waves to the crowd, there was no more deserving group of people to be given the honor of a lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We can only hope that they are honored as the heroes they are at all times.
As I once shared with my buddy, and fellow student nurse, Matt, I can count the number of times that I feared for my life since I joined the fire service five or six years ago on one hand with fingers to spare. These men and women who are fighting in the wars in the Middle East fear for lives all day every day for essentially their entire tour of duty. Stop and think about that the next time you whine about spending sixty bucks to put gasoline in your vehicle. They are in harm's way each and every day of their service in the Middle East. These men and women are modern day heroes and deserve to be treated as such.
Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.
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