220125 Sentinel, Veterans

All veterans have seen and done things that the majority of others, especially the youth in this country today will never experience.
Less than 1% these days will ever have those experiences.
During World War 2 every large city had a multitude of veterans. Through Korea, Vietnam, The first Gulf war, the second Gulf war, Iraq, Afghanistan, less than the 1% mentioned have served their country during war. Fewer than that have been prisoners of war. World War 2 was a time when everyone in this country sacrificed the pleasures of normal life on the home front, with gas rationing, meat rationing and scrap drives. Wives even saved cooking grease to make explosives during the war. These days people don't have to worry about sacrificing as they did in World War 2. These days military wives still have to endure worry, and fear when husbands are away. They have a job that normally is shared by a husband and wife, but they have to face that alone. Joyce did it when I was away and it was as difficult for her as it was for me, even more so than me. Joyce was kind enough to remind me that I while I was living out of a seabag, with meals, laundry, living conditions (poor as they were onboard ship) were all taken care of by the navy.

Joyce had to navigate all of that by herself, take care of Annie, plus pay all the necessary bills and control her finances with not much money to accomplish that.
I was lucky not to have the horrors that some veterans face today. At the end of their tour away from family and friends, they were in combat one day and the next day they were home again, trying to adapt to civilian life and a lot of people who think they are crazy for risking thier lives at this time. For many, that is not a workable situation. For some it takes months or years, it took nearly 10 years to adapt to my new life. For others it is something they have to endure for the rest of their lives. Never forget, it's not the politicians who make your life as comfortable as it is, far from it, it's the veterans that give you freedom, not the government politicians.