Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye.
Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem.
You can't tell a vet just by looking.
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.
He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.
She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
He is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't come back AT ALL.
He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat - but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.
He is the parade - riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.
He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies
unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket - palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being - a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the
freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
Father Denis Edward O'Brien/USMC
Thank you Father O'Brien for putting this so eloquently. As a Veteran myself I would personally like to thank all of the Navy, Marines, Army, Airforce and Coast Guard for their service to our great nation and it's people. I am proud to be an American and I will never forget the sacrifices you all make to defend us!
Jason Hansen
President
Loaded Energy, Inc.
US Navy (Medically Retired)
Who I'd like to meet:
We want you to live Loaded.
By getting Loaded and being Loaded we can do more for you. We want to keep our Loaded Members happy by listening to your suggestions. Bringing you entertainment, sports, and fun are also goals of ours. We want to be open to how we bring your suggestions to life. I guess the question should be posed to you. What are your plans? What bands, athletes, events, entertainers and charities would you support? Contact us and let us know. We will read and listen to all of your suggestions and give you what you vote for.
LOADED?
Thanks again to all of you for making Loaded so great. Loaded tastes a little like berry due to its base ingredients. Loaded is easy to drink, full of flavor and gives you an incredible rush without the jitters. This drink is crystal clear and finishes smooth. No aftertaste. Everything you want in your energy drink. We also included B12 to give you a natural increase in energy that is sustained for hours. The amount of B12 in this drink will also improve your mood and increase focus.
UNLOADED?
UnLoaded is our answer to the diet craze. Diet drinks are outselling regular drinks so we came out with this drink for all of you who are looking for less carbs and watching those calories. It also has no sugar so that some diabetics could drink it as well. Unloaded tastes the same as Loaded. UnLoaded tastes a little like berry due to its base ingredients. UnLoaded is also easy to drink, full of flavor and gives you an incredible rush without the jitters. This drink is crystal clear, has 0 calories, 0 sugar and 0 Carbs. No aftertaste. Everything you want in your diet energy drink. We also included B12 to give you a natural increase in energy that is sustained for hours. The amount of B12 in this drink will also improve your mood and increase focus.
Hello my new friend, thanks for adding me!! Checkout my CD and pics dedicated to Africa!!! Available at www.cdbaby.com/salvatico Blessings to ya always!!!
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