THE SOWARDS REPORT: Take a moment, reflect about our veterans

Yesterday was Veterans Day.

I believe that this holiday is one of the most important that our country celebrates.  It is the one day out of the year where we are all able to take a step back, pause, and say Thank you to all of the veterans who have served our country. 

We honor those who fought for the liberty of a fledgling nation struggling for her independence from Britain all the way through those who are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Being on a college campus, I believe it is easy for the average person to not be unaware of the current conflicts overseas, or the brave men and women who are fighting on those front lines. 

It is so easy to be caught up in exams, bars and athletics to pay attention to any sort of affairs outside of Marshall's small radius.  However, yesterday we were able to do just that.

Veterans Day has always been a particularly important holiday for my father.  While I have never severed in the military, my father has.  He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps in the mid-1970s.  Dad has often told me it is an experience that not only changed his life, but has also stuck with him throughout his life.

The bond between service men and women run deep, deeper than I will probably ever understand.  But I was able to get a small glimpse of this, thanks to my father.  I remember a few years ago we were walking out of a grocery store and an elderly World War II veteran was collecting money for a local charity. 

As my father went up to donate to his cause, he noticed that the older gentleman was a Marine Corps veteran. 

Without hesitation dad looked him straight in the eye and said "Semper Fi, brother."
Upon hearing those words I saw something light up in that elderly man's eyes.  It was not just a light, it was a bond.  While they served decades apart, they still shared a common bond: the Marines.  It is something, I believe, no one can fully understand without actually being a part of it. 

Dad had never met this man and, to my knowledge, has not seen him since, but for that one moment they looked as though they had known each other all of their lives.

To me, that was an incredible experience and I felt lucky to have been a part of it.
Likewise, I believe it goes without saying that we are incredibly lucky to live in a country where we can act and speak freely.  This is a topic of conversation between several of the other columnists and I, as well as the partisan groups on campus. 

We use this privilege so freely, yet rarely do we think about where it came from.   
So where exactly did it come from?

It came because of the many brave soldiers who lost their lives fighting for this country, fighting for this way of life, and fighting for the American ideal that we all believe in.  And yesterday was their day. 

For veterans young and old, we say thank you, we salute you and we are truly thankful for all that you have done for this country. 

Veterans, thank you.