I have never served in any military branch nor have I participated in any war. I was too young for Vietnam and too old for the Gulf War. I have never experienced being shot at or someone trying to kill me. There is no way for me to be able to fully understand or relate to what our veterans have gone through, the horrors they have witnessed, the way they were able to reach deep inside themselves for the courage to do exactly the opposite thing that any rational mind says to do – run headlong into the face of danger or death. It is hard for me to fathom the kinds of dreams and memories they carry with them every day, in respectful silence.
Just because I have no common experience with a veteran does not mean that I cannot appreciate the sacrifice they made just so I can sit here and write this blog. Abandoning the life of comfort and safety to uphold the freedom to voice my opinion, to state my views without the fear of arrest and persecution.
On this Veterans Day I want to say loud and clear that I honor the sacrifice that you have made and make my personal promise to remember every day what you have given me and my family. I will cherish the peace and comfort that I enjoy and that you have made possible.
A sincere thank you to each and every Veteran, from the bottom of my heart.
David Soxman