Thank You for Serving

As a person who loves words and writing, I am always amazed at the power words have over us. Think about it. When you hear, “I love you,” does your heart not skip a beat? When your baby says “Mamma” or “Dadda” for the first time, there is nothing like it. Time stands still, if just for a moment.

Sometimes it is the lack of words that impact us. Words left unsaid, for whatever reason, can cut deeper than a knife to the heart. My husband served in Viet Nam. Those were hard days to serve. It became popular sport for Americans to show their displeasure with the war by treating our soldiers with disdain and disgust. And if not that, then to simply ignore our military personnel as they returned from the war zone.

As a mom of two soldiers, it disgusts me to think how men like my husband were treated upon their return. No bands playing. No crowds gathered. No one to even say so much as a “thank you.” Imagine the wounds we inflicted our own young men. Imagine that. If anything ever made me ashamed to be an American, it is how we treated our soldiers returning from Viet Nam. To put it lightly, it was despicable.

I am proud today to know that as a society we have evolved in how we treat our soldiers, at least in the respect we give them. Whether it is a side effect of the outbreak of national pride that infected us after 9/11, or whether it is just becoming a kinder, gentler, wiser nation as we age, we have begun to do a better job of expressing our thanks and appreciation for the role our warriors play.

If you know a veteran or a person currently serving, you probably realize how matter-of-fact they are about what they do. They don’t expect thanks, and most shy away from it. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t thank them or continue to find new ways to let them know we appreciate the sacrifices they make.

Last week, in my hometown, a thank you was unveiled for military members who have deployed and served in combat zones since 9/11. Banners bearing names and photographs of 32 hometown heroes now grace the main street of our town. The banners project became reality thanks to the hard word of another patriot mom, Sue Jantzi, whose daughter, Capt. Jennifer Jantzi, served two tours in Iraq. Mrs. Jantzi got the idea from a similar project in another town, and happily, she brought it to Hamburg, NY.

My son, Tyler, is one of 32 soldiers being honored with a banner in  Hamburg, NY.

The banners not only express the thanks of a grateful community, but they let us know just how many friends we have serving. I was surprised to recognize three names in addition to my own son’s name.

The real point here is to take pride in our young people. Show them how much you care and how much you appreciate the job they do each day to keep us safe. And if you see them, thank them for serving.

 It’s amazing what two simple words can do.