I Remember You...And I Thank You!

I love my freedom! I love being able to choose whatever career I want. To be able to go to the store, choose friends, go from State to State without papers. I love that I can go to church to worship, and nobody can try to force me to do it their way. I love to be able to vote for whoever I want, even though the person I vote for doesn't always win.

I love it! And I value it.

I know the freedom we experience in America doesn't come for FREE. There is a huge price that is paid by many people. Many have given their lives, lost their lives, and had to live their lives with the horrors of the atrocities that they have seen protecting this country and many other countries.

I am very grateful. I thank God for the military our country has to protect us.

My family suffered two losses, first my Uncle Ronnie, who died the year before I was born. He didn't die while in combat, but while serving his country in the military.

And then my Uncle Bobby, my dad's youngest brother, was shot in Viet Nam and died a few days later when I was almost six years old.

 
Picture by Mary Reinhardt Sand

I was too young to realize the pain my Grandparents suffered, but now as an adult, I have been told of how hard it was for them. Also, being a parent myself, I can completely imagine their pain.

It was also very hard on all of my family members, my parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sister and my cousins. We all have our story of that time. Its not the best memory.

He was only nineteen. We didn't get the opportunity to know him in his adult years. We didn't get to discover who he would have married or his children. We didn't get the opportunity to see his smile one more time or to say goodbye.

He went with other marines to fight for freedom and to protect those who were being harmed.

Many families today suffer the same loss as my family did many years ago. No matter how many years go by, we don't forget, we don't stop wishing he would have come home and walked, instead of being carried, off the plane. I'm sure other families feel that way too about their lost ones.

Freedom has a tremendous price tag.

There are many families today who are experiencing the loss of loved ones just so we can safely and freely live our lives in freedom and to protect those in other countries who need help.

My prayers are for all of the military and their families, that you would be blessed, feel God's comfort and love. And even though I don't think anyone in the military could ever get paid enough for what they do, I hope that everyone who has or is in the military, would be compensated in some wonderful way.

I can only humbly say....Thank you very much! And God bless you!


http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/50714/ROBERT-E-SWANSON


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