I never served in the military but a lot of important people in my life did. My father-in-law is one of them. He served 33 years of active duty in the Marine Corps, retiring as a Colonel. He did three tours in Viet Nam, collected a silver star, a couple of purple hearts, and a box full of other metals during his military career. Currently, my father-in-law is active in a number of military organizations in Charleston. In years past I would have spent today helping him and a bunch of other aging guys who also served make their way through the parade route for the Veteran’s Day parade in downtown Charleston. There was no parade today, however, for a cruise ship was docking at the same time and the veterans were told that a parade would cause too many traffic issues. No problem, they had their parade last weekend. None of the Vets complained about having the parade a week early. In years past a C-17 would do a fly over to start the parade. Charleston Air Force Base is a home base for these massive cargo carriers, and they house more of them than you can count, but this year, they were told that due to federal budget cuts, there would be no fly over. Again, no one complained, and the vets who were there were appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the parade. Sadly, I have seen the numbers dwindle over the years. The vets who participate are older and each year we loose a few. More sadly, the spectators are dwindling too. I remember the parade immediately after 9/11, when less than two months after this horrific event the parade route was brimming with spectators and went through the middle of town. The mayor led the parade. I haven’t seen the mayor at the parade since then, and the parade route has been relegated to streets that pose less of an inconvenience. I’m embarrassed to admit there was a time I thought these guys participated so they could get recognition for their contribution and sacrifice. In reality it’s just the opposite. If you ask the question you will quickly learn they do this for their comrades who can’t be there, those who are actively serving, and to set an example for those who will be coming behind them. Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day. It shouldn’t be an inconvenient afterthought. If you have the opportunity, please take a moment and thank someone who served.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 02:04:13 +0000
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