From this YouTube video :)
I wanted to share a video that was shared by the Hammond Police Dept. on Facebook, but I couldn't get one to come up- that was a tear jerker!
Also: in honor of my nephew (I'll claim him as such), Lenny DeRegules, who is currently serving with the USMC, please check out the SemperFiFund website. It's not only for the USMC, they help members of all branches of service. Click here to learn all about them :)
Don't wait a whole year to thank a service member. I think what has been sacrificed is worth more than one day.
On a personal note: someone was relaying a conversation to me in which one person said that military service members shouldn't get full pension after 20 years (my friend had made the comment that they should get at least half pension after 10, which spurred the other comments). He compared the work that military personnel do to those of factory workers (lets be honest- there are some vets working in factories that deserve more than that) and asked the question, "how is their (military personnel) job harder? Why give them pension at all?" My friend then talked about the sacrifice involved, and so on, but I don't think it got through or opened the mind of the other.
I didn't respond much then, but it has been weighing on my mind since hearing these comments. Though I have yet to ship off to BMT, I've been packing, selling, and preparing for leaving. I've shed tears for what I'll be leaving behind, and surely there are more coming. It comes down to this: I don't HAVE to leave. I am willingly giving up comforts, possessions, time with loved ones, and so much more in order to serve a higher purpose. I am willing to be put through mindgames and tests and trials and training in order to do a job to protect this country and those who live here- for people who I don't know and will never meet.
No matter what my job will be, my core values will always remain Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. Service before self- that's to you, person who thinks what military personnel are on the same level as a factory worker. A factory worker gets to go home every day/night (working long shifts, but have you seen the mid-shifts at Air Bases???). See his/her family. Go out for drinks with friends. Go to the park with their kids. Maybe work on a holiday, but that time is always made up. Military personnel don't. They/We lose time spent working to keep you and our country safe. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to discount anyone who doesn't have a military job (or factory workers), but the level of sacrifice is completely different and comes with much higher stakes.
This ended up being much longer than I originally planned. That's what happens with me and tangents! On a brighter note: here's a moment to treasure.
