We honor you.....

Dear Marine, Solider, Airman and Sailor,

I would like to take this moment to thank you.  I know it's not much and I realize that many of you will never

see this post but I'd like to thank you anyway.   Active duty, reservist, retired or veteran I'm speaking to you.

Once every year America, the country that you serve, chooses to remember you and that day is tomorrow.  I

could tell you that I think about you and appreciate you everyday, but the truth is I like most people take you

for granted.  I do pause today, at this moment to tell you how much I appreciate you and what you do for our

country.  I would call it a job but having served in the Marines calling it a job is a disservice to you.  Please

allow me to express my gratitude to you.

I appreciate that you leave your families behind sometimes for years without seeing them.  I can only imagine

what it must be like to hear that you are a father knowing that your child may take their first step before you

ever hold them.  I can appreciate what it's like to come back from deployment and find that your girlfriend or

boyfriend has moved on to someone else.  I know what it's like to be so lonely for home that you hide so your

buddies don't see your tears.   I can appreciate that mail call is the highlight of your day and a letter from

home will be read so much that eventually it falls apart from being folded and unfolded to be read and shared

with your  buddies.  I know what it's like to be on edge for weeks at a time, to be hungry, tired, dirty and that

a toilet is considered a luxury.  I know what it's like to not see anything and I mean anything but ocean for

weeks at a time and there is no bar, buffet or shuffleboard games on the ship on which you serve.

There are things though that I have no idea how to appreciate about you.  I don't know how to mourn the loss

of one of my buddies.  I cannot imagine coming back without my arm or my leg having to learn how to button

my shirt or walk again.  I cannot imagine how your wife, mother, father, sisters, brothers and friends mourn

when you give the ultimate sacrifice for your country.  How when your flag is folded and handed to your

family somehow they are suppose to understand that you not only gave your life for you country but you did it

for your buddies that count on you everyday.

I could go on and list a thousand reasons why I am writing this letter to you today.  I look back over this letter

and realize that no matter what I say it is inadequate to express how I, no how we feel about you and your

service to our country.  We are honored, blessed and humbled by you and what you do everyday so that

we may work, live and play mostly without a second thought to our safety and freedom.  God bless you

and your family.  We officially honor you tomorrow but you deserve more than our gratitude.

Lest we forget,

A forever grateful American