A Yankee Doodle Dandy

With the “Good Old Fashioned Olney 4th of July” parade going on today, followed by a fireworks extravaganza at the Olney Country Club, this is the time of year I like to write about U.S. veterans and freedom in general.

This country was built on the blood, sweat and tears of those service men and women who sacrificed so much, and in many cases their lives, to secure the freedom for not only the United States of America but most of the free world as we know it today.

There are many reasons people join the armed forces. Some reasons are patriotism, college funding, as a job and in some cases to help protect a friend or family member who has enlisted. One thing is certain, that once deployed into a war zone the only thing you are fighting for is the person to the left and right of you! Many who have never been a part of military service might never fully understand the bond that soldiers form with each other. In many cases the bond is stronger than even a family bond. The term “band of brothers” is a literal one when it comes to soldiers in the field.

For me personally, one of the most despicable acts ever performed on anyone by the public is the one performed against returning Vietnam veterans. They were spit upon, cussed at and shamed, to name a few things. These service men and women went through hell for us and for them to be treated like that was just disgusting. For those who never went through what they did, we can never grasp the full gravity of what they went through.

I am passionate about the subject, to say the least. I am asking everyone who knows a U.S. veteran to please honor and thank them this 4th of July. Without their sacrifice, we would not be free and communism, socialism and all the horrid “isms” would just overrun the world. This is Will B saying, Thank you to all the men and women who serve and have served in the United States military for your sacrifice and patriotism!