THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Tomorrow is Veterans Day. On this day we celebrate those who have served both in war and during peacetime. I read recently that only about 1% of all Americans either serve or have served in the military. Like many of the readers of this blog though, I am a veteran and proud of it. I entered the service when I was seventeen just out of high school. 

 

I didn't join out of any particular sense of patriotism. I joined because I knew I would be drafted anyway so I might just as well get it over with.

 

Back then getting accepted wasn't a problem. Today, however, I read recently that the vast majority of young people in this country wouldn't even qualify to enter the military service. They would be disqualified because of mental or physical reasons. Now that is sad. 

 

I remember when I joined. My physical exam was really pretty simple. If you could make steam on a mirror, you were in. If there was a mental requirement, I don't remember it, but I must have passed. Within moments of my reporting for my entrance examinations, I was being sworn in and put on a bus to Fort Jackson, SC. I was in the Army for sure. 

 

It turns out that joining the Army was one of the best decisions I ever made. I was a country boy fresh out of the hills of Tennessee with limited experience and even less talent. The Army made a man out of me. I got to see the world. They sent me first to Seattle and then to Germany. While in Germany I traveled to many other countries in Europe. I seriously doubt that I would ever have had such an opportunity without the service. They taught me skills that I still use today. I have said before and I'll say it again, I got so much more from my time in the service than I ever gave.

 

When people thank me for my service, I am grateful, but I also am thankful. Thankful for the many opportunities being in the Army made possible for me.

 

I am enrolled in the VA for my medical care. A lot of people complain about the VA. Not me. They have in the past, and they continue today, to provide the best care possible for me. With the passage of the Mission Act, I often can receive care from local providers which is very helpful. The VA does the job for me. 

 

For young people today, if you can qualify to get into the service, sign up. It will probably pay you many times over for your service.  

 

With Christmas approaching, the war games ads are all over television. You see tanks and big guns. You see bombs blowing up. You see cities being destroyed by these pretend weapons. I have a great deal for you. Join the Army and you get to play with real weapons. You get to blow up real bombs. And, they even pay you while you play with these weapons. You get to shoot real guns. All the while you are standing guard over the greatest country on earth. You become a part of something much bigger than anything you've ever done before. And when your time in service is over, you become a veteran. An exclusive club that is only available to those who have served 

 

There is no greater honor than to serve as a guardian for the lifestyle we all enjoy today. To those among you who belong in that club, I say thank you for your service. Thank you for putting it all on the line. And, Happy Veterans Day.

 

Ron Scarbro November 10, 2021