Veteran's Day 2011

So, again, I must begin a new blog with the disclaimer that I have neglected my literary and artistic callings for an extended period  of time.  Provided there is someone out there that is misguided enough to actually enjoy reading my delusional musings, I sincerely apologize for my apathetic state over the past 8 weeks.  However, the past couple of months have once again swept me away in a wave of fast-paced life change, as I am now in a different time zone and living in what could be considered the "womb" of America, where our nation was conceived in liberty, grew, and began to develop into the nation it now is.  That is, I'm in Virginia. 

Speaking of  America, Liberty, Freedom, all that schtuff, I'd like to say that, for the first time since 2005, I'm not a "veteran" per se, anymore.  I'm officially back in the uniform of the United States Army as a Regular Army officer once more.  After a year of hard work, paperwork, fighting, kicking, screaming, pissing off very high ranking officers, making other high ranking officers happy, and all in all placating the system as a whole, I finally got back in for good.  I've realized over the past few years, whilst living in and dealing with the utopia that others live in called "civilian life," that that's just not for me, and that I've been happier in the past five months back on Active Duty than I have been in the past five years since I left.  On October 20, I once again raised my right hand and took that solemn oath that "having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States in the grade of Captain, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic."

That said, on Thursday our nation will observe Veteran's Day.  For many, this is just another day that you have to deal with banks and post offices being closed, and if you live in a city that is a capital, then maybe you'll have less traffic on your way to work.  Well, take a minute to remember the reason you won't get mail  or be able to deposit a check.  There are hundreds of thousands of men and women that at one point  raised their right hand to swear to support and defend the Constitution as well.  Regardless of the reasoning behind their taking of that oath, be it college money, patriotic calling, unemployment, or just no other options, let us not forget the fact they took that oath and offered themselves up to the nation to serve and possibly die for our way of life and all we hold dear.  Many of these men and women have served multiple occasions away from family, friends, home, and all the comforts contained therein, and have returned changed mentally, physically, and emotionally.  Our country asks a lot of its military, and just because someone doesn't serve 20+ years in uniform doesn't mean they didn't pay the price for freedom, and return their debt to the nation with interest.  For that, we remember this Veteran's Day.  God bless you all, God bless America, and God bless our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.