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posted ago by spookyjumper ago by spookyjumper +237 / -2
  • We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.

  • We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.

  • We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.

  • We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.

  • We found new friends and new family.

  • We became brothers and sisters regardless of colour, race or creed.

  • We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.

  • We didn’t get enough sleep.

  • We smoked and drank too much.

  • We picked up both good and bad habits.

  • We worked hard and played harder.

  • We didn’t earn a great wage.

  • We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events.

  • We didn’t know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.

  • We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.

  • We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.

  • Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn’t.

  • Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn’t.

  • Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.

  • We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.

  • We participated in time honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.

  • We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.

  • We have dealt with victory and tragedy.

  • We have celebrated and mourned.

  • We lost a few along the way.

  • When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.

  • We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.

  • We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will understand.

  • We speak highly of our own branch of service, and poke fun at the other branches.

  • We know however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.

  • Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.

  • It has no monetary value, but at the same time it is a priceless gift.