Veterans Day 2012, Remembering

These are my two brothers, John and Joe Wood. As you can see, they both served in the military. John went into the Navy first and a few years later, when Joe graduated from high school, he went into the Army. John sailed the seven seas on an aircraft carrier (the U.S.S. Nimitz I think) and Joe went first to Germany and then to the war that was in Vietnam. I'm very proud of my brothers for serving in the military. Both are gone now, but every Veterans Day, they both seem to be closer in spirit somehow. My uncle, Clyde Gill, served in the Marines during World War II. He served in the Asian Theater, fighting at Iwo Jima, and later helping to clean up and deal with the horrible aftermath of the bombs dropped on Japan.

The Wood family has continued to serve in the military, even into this generation. Those who served or are serving now include nephews Curtis Wood, George Cummings, Jesse Wood, and Jacob Wilcox (currently in Afghanistan). Fortunately, thus far in the 20th and 21st centuries, no family members have died in combat. Wounded, physically and emotionally, certainly, but not killed.

As I think of all the thousands and thousands of men and women who have served in the military since before we were even officially a country, I'm humbled. We take the military for granted oft times. At the beginning of wars or conflicts, most everyone is patriotic, waves flags, and supports the military. As has been seen in the last 10 years since the current war started, however, we once again take the military for granted and support wanes. Support for our veterans has waned over the years as well. I don't believe people are really calloused and uncaring about the war or supporting our military and veterans. I believe, instead, we've become weary and perhaps enured to the constancy of it. Those serving us in the military, although perhaps weary, have definitely not become enured, hardened, or blase' about their dedication to our country, their courage, their sacrifices, or the sacred price of freedom.

Let us then, this Veterans Day, this year, not let it go by without a moment of prayer for those serving now, a moment of remembrance and mourning for those lost fighting for our great country, and a moment of gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy because of our service men and women, both past and present.