Happy Veteran's Day!

Hello blogfan!

I'd be remiss indeed if I let this day pass without a heartfelt "Thank You!!!" to all of our veterans. The freedoms I enjoy today were bought and paid for with their toil, sweat, blood, and tears and I've done little, if anything, to earn any of it. So, thank you, men and women of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard; I owe you a debt of gratitude and I'll NEVER be able to pay it back!

I was fortunate, I guess. As I came up through High School, the Viet Nam war was in full force. Oh, there was talk of cease-fire and an eventual end to the conflict, but we'd been hearing that for how long? Almost as long as I could remember! So, I turned 16 in 1973 and those "don't forget to register for the draft" notices started coming to the house, I grew concerned that I may have to go to Viet Nam. A lot of my friends were already talking about going to Canada, burning their draft cards or simply not responding, but I'd already decided that I was going to do my duty and report if I were called.

I never got an opportunity to make that choice. The war ended in 1974, the draft was discontinued not long afterward, so that dreaded notice never came and I never had to serve.

I often wondered how things would have been different if I DID have to go. Would I have come back? If so, would I have been in one piece? I only know one thing; God knew what path my feet would take and I can only thank Him that I am here today to share this with any who care to read it.

I thank God and I thank our veterans, many of whom did NOT come back and allowed me the opportunity to not go at all. Thank you, veterans!