Whenever we are trying to find gratitude for things we usually take for granted, we must look deep within our hearts and look ourselves in the mirror and say, could I live the way I do without the bloodshed, sacrifice, and pain that men and women from our nation have endured? Furthermore, how can we honor those brave men and women?
Not a year passes in America that brave men and women don’t defend our freedom. It has been 232 years since our country was founded, and in 232 of those years our soldiers have sacrificed many years of their time here on earth and in certain situations their lives and their security for each and every American’s rights, freedoms, and well being. Every American must remember, to those who are willing to risk their lives for you, extreme gratitude must be given.
The job of a member of the armed forces is different from all others. No other job in America requires the dedication that American soldiers give year round. They work straight through the holidays and occasionally all night long. When we honor our veterans, we must remember all of the tough circumstances that American soldiers, current and former, agreed to accept.
Even though American soldiers in peacetime endure a lot of sacrifices, we must especially remember those who have fought for our doctrines at home against the acts of terrorist or abroad standing up for the individual rights which every human being should have. José Narosky once said, “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” Although this refers to physically wounded soldiers, it also means that no soldier walks away without being emotionally wounded.
The answer to the question of why America’s veterans should be honored lies not in the endless endeavor of trying not to take freedom for granted; instead it lies in our virtues, as not just American citizens, but as human beings. We shouldn’t just honor veterans because the government says we should or all the books we read corroborate it. We should honor veterans because it is the right thing to do. As the old Chinese Proverb reads, “When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.” As Americans, we must honor our veterans with compassion and sincerity because it is our duty as American citizens, for the world’s spotlight is on us.
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