Two Soldiers

New Year's eve, I spent the evening with the American Legion. They were holding a dance for New Year's...their usual. They had an awesome band who is mainly country music, which I don't get into anymore, but this band is good, Sixpac is their name. They played their usual music, and the Lee Greenwood song. Even doing some Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney/Uncle Kracker (they were great at that one)...etc.


I got hit on by old men and danced with my father, rang in the new year wrapped in the love of my dad and my precious stepmom while we sang Auld Lang Sygne, and everyone around me told me I was beautiful.


On my way back in from the bathroom, one of the ladies who is a great friend to my stepmom, and a wonderful person pulls me over to the side next to her eighty odd year old husband to introduce me to her son (whom I had never met before) and his wife. While I was standing there talking to them, a young man about twenty three or so was talking to the eighty year old.
The elder had been in World War II, and the younger had just come home safely from a tour of Iraq.


"Thank you for serving our country, sir, I am honored to know you. I am proud to be an American along with you", said the younger man.


"No, young man, it is I who should be thanking you for what you have done over there right now." Says the elder.


"Sir, I am an American. It is my duty to protect what you gained when you fought for this country. I was only doing what I had to" says the younger man.


At this point, there are tears in the eyes of the younger man as he shook the elder's frail and aging hand-pride was in both of their eyes...and I began to cry myself as I heard these two veterans thanking and honoring each other.


After New year's hugs to both of them, I turned to the younger man and said these words:
"I say this to all of you...Thank you, you have no idea what your duty and dedication to this nation means to me, and I am proud to stand before you right this moment."


The reply was this: "I was only doing my duty."


~Karol Lynn


***This did in fact happen New Year's Eve, 2007. I don't care what anyone's politics concerning this war are. Just remember, through the ages, men and women have fought, bled and died for countries because they felt that it was worth it to do so...remember our fallen heroes. Remember as we go about our daily lives that they are out there.

Thank you Nej for your post, reminding me of this one from Memorial Day Weekend, I had written it in that site that will be pulled down soon, and this needed saving....
~
KLM