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Planting seeds of Patriotism: Veterans Day 2009
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I grew up wanting to be a soldier, but I never was. I wasn't the daughter of a military father, but I might as well have been. My father loved America and all that it stood for. He took me to parades, choked back the tears when the "Star Spangled Banner" played and waved an American flag.
At the beginning of World War II, my father was too old to be drafted into the armed forces. Two of his younger brothers, one in the Navy and the other went to Germany; they carried on in his place. My father loaded cargo on ships, which was the closest he got to any war-time effort. But his patriotism didn't stop there. He collected names of neighbors' loved ones and weekly sent letters and packages overseas.
In Carroll Street Park where I played as a child, a ceremony was held every Veteran's Day, which was a constant reminder of that love and respect my father sought to instill in me for those who had served in the military. I would look up to my father and see a very big man who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was deeply moved by soldiers saluting the American flag. It's that respect for our military that was instilled in me.
Not too long ago, I was thinking how we create our children's memories: memories that live on long after we're gone. It's an honor for me to continue in my father's footsteps, and I now take my granddaughter to parades and she holds the American flag. As each company of the military personnel marches by, she waves the flag for them. I explain to her what it means to be a soldier, just as my father educated me: planting a seed and sowing it.
Applebees has offered every Veteran a free dinner on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2009. Good for them for reaching out and saying "we support our troops."
This Veterans Day, if you see a veteran, go up to him or her and thank them for their services. They are the ones who have kept this country free.
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