One never knows!

by Rick Jones

The old woman down the street, the old man around the corner, the nervous young man next door. One never knows! Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, fellow employees. One never knows who has served this great country. They don't say much about it, won't tell stories about it, but will talk with others who have been there and done that.

Who are they? These are our veterans! Those who have served our country in peace time and in war and it is those who we need to thank every time we meet them. Those who we can't thank in person are the ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Many thousands of our veterans are passing every day so don't delay - "Thank a Vet" for their time and service to the greatest country in the world, the United States of America.

Why did this thought come to my mind just today? While visiting a friend this afternoon we walked down a hallway and on the wall were some pictures of a young man in a Navy uniform and I inquired who it was and he said "That's me." A young man in uniform with several medals and ribbons he had received while in Viet Nam. I studied the picture, the medals and ribbons and other honors he received and pondered where he had been, what he had done, and what he had to deal with upon his release from the Navy. It was only after seeing these that I did say "Thank You," with a handshake, he said "you're welcome." During our time together we talked of many mutual friends as well as fellow employees and I discovered that many were veterans of previous conflicts or had served in peace time. On more than one occasion when we spoke of people I would say "I didn't know he/she was in the military."

I know of people that have served in WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and in the current conflicts. These are the folks who fought the fight to keep us safe so we in America don't have to.

Remembering our military shouldn't just be on Memorial Day, it should be EVERY day.

So during the course of our cookouts, family gatherings and such please remember what Memorial Day is all about and "Thank a Vet who is still with us while you can."

Rick Jones is a Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader.