The dictionary lists this definition:
:a person who has served in a military force, especially one who has fought in a war.
But that doesn't define a veteran.
A veteran is a young boy who leaves home and is on his own for the first time. He comes back with an air of maturity about him. You can see it in the way he carries himself. You see it in the respect he shows.
A veteran is some one's brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle, friend.
A veteran is someone who was not able to be there for a holiday, a birthday, their daughter/son's birth, first step, first word.
A veteran is someone who may be in a foreign country missing family as he spends his first Christmas away from home.
A veteran is someone who trained to give his all if it was needed. He may never have set foot on foreign soil but he was prepared if asked.
A veteran will tell stories of places he has been and things he has seen. He and his buddies had the time of their lives when he recounts stories of their glory days.
A veteran will not tell of the horrors he has seen. The wars he fought. He keeps these to himself.
A veteran is someone who thought enough of their country to voluntarily give their time to defend it.
A veteran is someone who will stand when the national anthem is played - and he will stand proudly.
A veteran is often forgotten, ignored, mistreated.
A veteran is someone who deserves our thanks but seldom receives it.
To all the veterans I know and those I don't THANK YOU
No comments:
Post a Comment