THANK YOU, VETERANS

November 11th is Veterans Day.

This year it is the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended The Great War.  The Great War was not known at that time as World War I because no one ever expected the debacle to repeat itself with World War II.  One hundred years later it still seems unfathomable to me that we even had one war so global that having a second in the lifetime of those who lived through the first seems like infinitesimal odds.

When we were little my parents often threatened us that we should practice for Armistice Day - a day of solemn silence.  My father was a WWII vet, an Army soldier; his brother served in Korea and his father was also in the military (I believe during WWI, but my memory of shared details is spotty).  Armistice Day was kind of a big deal.

My brother-in-law served in the Air Force.  My niece served in the Marines.  I have close friends and former teachers and professors who served in Vietnam.  The inspector who okayed the re-ignition of my gas service was stationed in Cambodia and also served in the Vietnam War.  Many of the people with whom I grew up and with whom my children grew up are active or retired military.  A lot of my friends and co-workers are also military families.

So many amazing people willing to step forward and serve.

I hope we never have another draft, and I wish (though it's probably futile, knowing human nature and all) that we'd never have another war or need for military deployment.  However, regardless of the climate for conflict here or abroad, I'd like to thank all of the veterans I know (and those I don't yet know) for your service.

I appreciate and respect you on this day and every day of the year.