I woke up this morning thinking about them--well, not just them, but all the Veterans I know. Cousins, nephews, former students, friends. They all matter. But there are two who are special, and I wondered what they were doing today.
I've written about them before. My "adopted sons"--students who through the course of years I became extremely close to. Josh, my reading machine, and Daniel, my former speech student; both are young men I am proud to know. But today, Veteran's Day 2011, I want to share my pride. They matter, you see, not just to me, but to all of us. They serve their country proudly.
I walked into the cafeteria for morning duty and looked around. The Veteran's were there in uniform, eating breakfast at a special table set up just for them They looked so proud in their uniforms. And there he stood in his Army fatigues, filling his tray in the breakfast line with the older Vets. I felt tears welling up as Josh came over and gave me a big hug.
The tears spilled during our Veteran's Day assembly as I watched him, in uniform, sit in front of our junior and senior high school students. Josh said it best when he spoke briefly. "Two years ago, I was sitting where you are, listening to the Vets. Last year I was in Afghanistan. Today, I am proud to stand next to these men up here."
And we are proud of you--both of you--all of you--for serving your country with pride and dignity.
Thank-you.
Another Vet who matters to me is our nephew, Kyle. He and others have started a company called Oscar Mike, run by and for the benefit of disabled Vets. Check out their new video and their web site
I AM OSCAR MIKE from OSCAR MIKE on Vimeo.
It's a sweet story, Deb and yes, they all do matter, a lot! Thanks for telling, and great about your nephew, too.
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