Free while the cause is thelive same. Everyone has a different reason for serving free. E ca. Maybe theyre following in their fathers footsteps, orserv they felt a calling after terrorists tore down the twin towersa call. For me, it was a Patriotictr Parade or a series oiotif them f a small town memorial day and the 4th Of July Parades in a tiny farm town in Southern Minnesota where my parents grewm up. The whole Town Linedinnesota Wh on the side of the tree lined main street, waiting for the veterans u to walk by. And when they came, older vets u and younger vets, the crowd clapped and salutes,d. The reverence that town had for the veterans made me say, wow, those men really did something special, somethingme did biggern this town, something bigger than themselves. These men were willing to put on a uniform and facet fo danger for me. A kid they never met. It was just a handful of veterans from one town. But rans from one town. Gave men like that. Out of sheer patriotism. And when you
free while the cause is thelive same. everyone has a different reason for serving free.e ca. maybe they re following in their father s footsteps, orserv they felt a calling after terrorists tore down the twin towersa call. for me, it was a patriotictr parade or a series oiotif them f a small town memorial day and the 4th of july parades in a tiny farm town in southern minnesota where my parents grewm up. the whole town linedinnesota wh on the side of the tree lined main street, waiting for the veterans u to walk by. and when they came, older vets u and younger vets, the crowd clapped and salutes,d. the reverence that town had for the veterans made me say, wow, those men really did something special, somethingme did biggern this town, something bigger than themselves. these men were willing to put on a uniform and facet fo danger for me. a kid they never met. it was just a handful of veterans from one town. but rans from one town. gave men like that. out of sheer patriot
veterans from one town. but rans from one town. gave men like that. out of sheer patriotism. and when you add up all of those small towns, it gives you a glimpse oftown the sheerr weight of the cost of freedom. i for generations, families filled with faith and love for their countrli d y sent their on to battle in trenches, beachesd ,jungles and deserts. and not everyone made it back. in guantanamo bay, cuba, ind wasuantanamo bay, cuba, george oliveira, who was a real salt of the earth guy. of tt, committed and really hard working. back home, hd reallye was a pole officer. service was in his blood. we both later deployed to afghanistan. we were in different units his e that point and we were in different parts of the country. and that sre and when i got word that bee george had been killed in combat. n killed it hit me like a ton. bricks. it s a feeling almost everyone who served feeli knows.