Send to KindleIn the days when I still wore a uniform, I was talking to another officer about the people who were under our command when he mentioned they represented a cross section of the country. As I reflected on that comment it occurred to me that it may have been true at the beginning of their service, but soon they were no longer average Americans. The men and women who serve our nation become different. They learn about honor and self-respect. They understand mission and teamwork. They learn about sacrifice for others; qualities that are often absent in today’s society.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, in a rail car in Compiegne, France an armistice or cease fire was signed that ended the fighting in World War I. It had been the war to end all wars. It’s hard to tell who really believed such a thing; after all human nature seems to contradict the idea and it was less than twenty years until the world once again descended into war.
There seems to be no end to the need for a strong and honorable military force. Such a force gives our nation two benefits. The first is security. The second is veterans; those people who return to civilian life with qualities that make us all better.
