February 1987.
There I was, cold with a freshly shaved noggin ready to be broken down and rebuilt into a soldier. A red headed Scot in the service of Uncle Sam. What was I thinking?
Back in that day our biggest problem was the fear of the hammer and sickle and the bearded one down south, today the men and women of the armed forces face a more sinister enemy and sometimes ones that have been trained by themselves.
A moment of silence at a football match is the least we can offer for your service, as we play you fight. You fight in our name away from the ones you should be defending and you fight without being asked to do so.
We all owe every one of you a debt of gratitude no matter what our beliefs or political leanings it is comforting knowing that tonight I will lay my head on my pillow while you are in my defense.
All I can do is say "Thank you."
Well said Sausage.
ReplyDeleteI'll "second" your thank you!
ReplyDeleteyep - absolutely bang on
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I was U.S. Coast Guard for a bit. Close enough. Saved lives instead of ended 'em. Almost drown doing it, too!
ReplyDeleteHere here!
ReplyDeleteBack even further - it took a lot of getting used to - looking on the hammer and sickle as the enemy when for years they had been our valiaant comrades and Churchill had given them the Sword of Stalingrad.
Thank you too, good sir. Even though the soldiers of the 80's didn't face the same enemy, you STILL signed on a dotted line and agreed to take a bullet for the rest of us - and for your adopted country at that. Much appreciated.
ReplyDelete