Veteran’s Day is coming, and that means that I have the honor of riding from Lawton, OK to Ardmore, OK and visiting the Veteran’s Home with 50 or 100 of my closest friends, you know, the Patriot Guard Riders. Now, most people would say, “How is that an honor? It’s your day off, you should be enjoying it.†My response to that kind of thinking is that the people that live in that home, and in other Veteran’s Homes across the United States, committed their lives to allowing us the freedom to have the day off, so the least that we can do is spend some of our time giving them some joy. If you are in the area, come on out, I’d love to meet you!
I have another reason for going, one that is much more compelling, at least to me. You see, while I was in Iraq, my unit supported a number of remote sites. On one of these remote sites is a young man that had to return to the US on emergency leave because his grandfather was experiencing health problems. The good news is that the grandfather was (and still is) doing well. The even better news is that the grandson helped the grandfather move into the Ardmore, OK Veteran’s Home. So, I get to go deliver a short message to a grandfather from his deployed grandson.
It just doesn’t get any better…
You do us all proud. Thank you.
Besides the fact that I am immensly proud of you… my wish is that you could feel this way 24/7. Your happiness is much deserved my friend and you wear it well.
I will be with you there in spirit and maybe I can find somewhere here where I can follow your lead for the day.