Jul
Before the 4th
One of the National Guardsmen who just returned from Iraq was at our Post last night. He presented us with a flag that flew over the US Embassy in Baghdad.
The man made quite a sacrifice for the good of others. He gave up his civilian life to go into a war zone. Temperatures there can reach 130 degrees. On top of that, the year in Iraq cost him in other ways. Among them, his girlfriend broke up with him while he was overseas, and his job was gone when he got home. He lost this as a result of being called to serve. He was not bitter about it. He said that if there was one thing he had to do, it was serve in Iraq.
By the way, our National Guardsman is no kid. He is a year or two over fifty.
As we start this Fourth of July holiday weekend, let us reflect on those who make sacrifices in service to us. Let them know that we do not forget them. One of the thing the Guardsman told us was that they had few amenities where he was stationed. No USO, No Post Exchange (PX), no similar facilities. The troops were happy to receive boxes from home. Think about that. This weekend would be a good time to deduct a few dollars from the beer and barbecue money and give it to one of the causes that supports the troops. It shows that we care and it does a lot of good to people who are making sacrifices on our behalf.
