To me, Veterans Day is a day of reflection and remembrance for all the sacrifices the men and women of the Armed Forces have made on our behalf throughout the years.
I thank my husband for his service. I remember my friend, John, for his service. I pause and think about ‘what if’ my two uncles hadn’t died in WWII.
This year is even more poignant for me because it was the year I actually visited my Uncle Allen’s grave in Luxembourg. This was also the year I was able to walk the Gettysburg Battlefield.
Flag from Luxembourg Cemetery
So many people have given their lives in the name of freedom. So many families have suffered a loss that can never be forgotten. Lives changed forever. Families changed forever.
Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough because it isn’t. Living just nine miles from the Pease Air National Guard Base which is home to the New Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing, I will keep thanking those service men and women that I run into.
I sincerely appreciate their service to our Country and their families’ sacrifice on our behalf.
Freedom is never free, and I wish we could all experience peace on this Veterans Day 2015.
Judy, you have such a heart for life….the things that are still wit
us……like gardens, and shiny doors, and moments, but also a heart that
acknowledges and pays tribute to the past That makes you very special.
My dad was a Sargent in the air force, I will think of him and all others
today. And thank Dennis for me.
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Thank you, Denise, 🙂 I guess spending every summer of the first 18 years of my life with my grandparents firmly attached my feelings to their generation as well as my own. Thank you to your Dad for his service on this very special day.
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Ok…not wit but actually WITH us ( early morning typing)
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This was a loving and memorable tribute, Judy. I salute any and all who risked or lost their lives, along with medical and supportive service corps. Bless then all. . .♡
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Beautifully said! Thank you to all our veterans.
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Thank you for your tribute. Thank you vets.
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I knew that you’d have a beautiful tribute up today 🙂
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Well said.
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This is a nice tribute Judy. Thank you doesn’t really come close.
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What a beautiful tribute to our nations heroes. My dad joined (well, was drafted at the age of 35) the Navy in WW11. Fortunately we got him back safe and sound. So many families can’t say that about their loved one.
Thank you for a moving post and THANK YOU to all our military, past, present and future. This country wouldn’t be free except for the brave. And our freedom really isn’t free, is it? It costs a lot. We should never take it for granted.
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Great comment, and a sincere thank you to your family for their sacrifice on our behalf.
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Whatever we do can never be enough and we must always, always remember the cost of the freedoms we enjoy, even the freedom to rail against war if we so choose. Please thank your husband for his service.
janet
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So many fallen, so many broken. The gray of this day is fitting memorial. Beautiful post, Judy.
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So many have given their lives for our freedom and that should never be forgotten.
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Gosh a year of remembrance Judy. What a lovely post 💕
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Lovely tribute.
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I am so glad that you got to visit your Uncle’s grave this year. I know how much that meant to you. Veterans Day really is very special and we owe so many thank yous to so many. I am glad the schools give this day off so that students learn of the importance of the holiday.
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Freedom is most definitely not free, and thank you never feels adequate as you mentioned. My nephew graduated West Point about two years ago and he is now an Army Ranger who is in Special Forces – basically signed up to do some of the most dangerous work out there. He just loves his work so much which is the one thing I say to myself when I wonder why he does it or worry about what might happen. He had his first tour in Afghanistan and came home safely but he will likely be deployed again soon.
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Your nephew definitely leads the way with his education and his skills. Prayers for his safety as he defends our Country and keeps us all safe. May he serve as long as he finds satisfaction and then may he have a happy safe life here in the USA. 🙂 I send my simple thank you to him.
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Thank you Judy!! I hope for all of the same.
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Good post. My dad was on a Navy supply ship and my brother was in the army (they paid for his medical school), though he never went overseas.
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Such a heartfelt tribute. I have great respect for all those who served their countries, but am especially grateful to members of my own family, some who lost their lives. I’m really sad that I never got to meet them.
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Thank YOU for this beautiful tribute.
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Such a beautiful way to honor our nation’s Veterans, Judy! We are so grateful for your husband’s service and remember the huge sacrifices of your uncles. What a moving experience to walk through the cemetery in Luxembourg and the battlefields in Gettysburg! I can’t even imagine your feelings while visiting such hallowed grounds. Our freedom is not free. Whenever one family member serves in the Armed Forces, the entire family sacrifices. Thank you so very much for this important post, Judy! ♡
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I join everyone here in saluting this beautiful tribute. Blogging has allowed us to share personal stories and photos of loved ones who’ve served in a way that wasn’t possible before. This keeps those brave warriors alive in our hearts and memories. I’m so glad we have Veteran’s Day and so glad we make such a “big deal” of it! Thank you service men and women everywhere!
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It truly is a bond we all feel because almost every family in America has a story to tell on Veterans Day. 🙂
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I’m a bit late with your post, but I agree Judy, very much with your heart felt tribute to the people who have lost lives for our freedom.
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