Happy Memorial Day!

Last week, Richard and I went to an Armed Forces Day concert. It was amazing.  The 23rd Army Band played my favorite patriotic songs, a community choir sang along, and it was capped off with amazing fireworks during "Stars and Stripes Forever."  What could possibly be better?!

Well....there was this man there.  He was a veteran of the second World War.  He was kind of bent over, and he was in a wheelchair.  When I noticed him at the beginning of the concert, I immediately fell in love.  During the Armed Forces Tribute, where the band played all the different songs of the different branches of service, I cried. My new little old man got up out of his wheelchair and was waving his arms around during "his" song.  Yeah, I freely admit. The lump in my throat was huge.

But then, later on, they were giving away four flags from Colonial Flag.  These are the big nice ones that you hang in your yard.  Four programs had stickers on them, and that's how you know who won.  Well, the first winner claimed his flag.  Then the second.  Finally the third.  But the fourth was nowhere to be seen.  So when Sterling Poulson, the emcee, asked "Do we have any WW2 veterans with us tonight?"  Yeah, I lost it again.  My little old man got up out of his wheelchair once more and started waving those arms around again.  Richard could tell I was crying again and gave me the sweetest hug.  Sterling took the flag over to my friend and talked to him for a minute or two, thanking him for his service.  When he got back to the stage, he was about to introduce the next song when a strong but not loud voice called out, "Thank you. Thank you."  Oh, look.  I'm crying again at just the memory of that soldier, that 80-something year old man, who has such a deep love and pride for his country that you could just see it by looking at him.

My grandfathers are not here anymore, so I cannot thank them for their service. So I will thank my father, who served in the Air Force.  I will thank my brothers-in-law (Air Force) and my sister-in-law and her husband, who both joined the Marines.  I will thank friends, both present and past, who made sacrifices and served our country.  And I will thank their families, because it's their sacrifice, too.

And to my little old man friend who was so grateful for that flag....no, sir. Thank you.