What does “military appreciation” mean to you? Stop for a moment and think about it. Is it saying a prayer for our troops? Is it saying, “Thank you” to a passing veteran? Is it donating money to one of the
What does “military appreciation” mean to you? Stop for a moment and think about it.
Is it saying a prayer for our troops? Is it saying, “Thank you” to a passing veteran? Is it donating money to one of the many veteran charity organizations? How do we show our appreciation to the military personnel that serve our country?
We cannot put a price tag on freedom, nor can we put a price tag on the losses this country has suffered in the pursuit of freedom. We should never forget this.
Unfortunately, too many of us have.
Now is the time for us to show our appreciation for all military troops throughout the world. Too often we wait for Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day to show our appreciation. Many of us look at these special days as simply long weekends.
It is so much more than that. We must show our appreciation to these special individuals every day. We have so much to be thankful for and we cannot forget why we are such a great country.
Have you ever thought of sending a thank you card to a soldier that you don’t even know? How about sending a care package to a battalion or squadron that is on 24-hour alert in Iraq or Afghanistan? What about walking up to a soldier in an airport and extending your hand, saying “Thanks for your service”? I do this all the time and the response is super rewarding, oftentimes emotional. These expressions of appreciation go a long way and will never be forgotten. It costs very little but is worth so much to the soldier, sailor, marine or airman.
Remember when the Gulf War started many years ago? We came together as a country to support our troops as they went off to war. Remember the first reports of casualties? The country stopped to grieve and supported our troops even more.
As the years went by and the casualties increased, the impacts to all of us seemed to decrease. The television newscasts used to start off with the number of military casualties of war. The newspapers would headline the number of soldiers injured or killed in war. What happened since then? Have we forgotten that every casualty of war creates devastated families and friends? I hope not.
Let us never forget our troops. Let us extend “Military Appreciation Month” to “Military Appreciation Year.” Our appreciation for the military should not be limited to any time period. It should be a daily occurrence. We should start our day with a prayer for our troops and their families. We should end our day with a similar prayer. We should do everything in our power to help our veterans. They deserve it and we owe it to them.
