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Veteran's Day has started to become one of my favorites. When I first got out of the service after Desert Storm it felt very awkward. I would meet "real veterans" at events who had fought in WWII, Vietnam, or Korea and feel as if my meager contribution was so insignificant. As I get older I've come to realize that isn't the case and have become a lot more comfortable participating.
Today I was invited to attend an assembly at my daughter's school (yes, there are places where kids still do that) and listened to poems, songs, and a few short speeches. There were Korean War vets, one Gunners Mate from WWII, and several others from my era - as well as a handful of current military. Each of us had a son, daughter, nephew, niece, or grandchild attending the elementary school.
I guess I've come to realize that veteran's day is as much about showing our young people that veteran's live next door, on their street, and in their neighborhood as anything else. You could see it in the eye's of all the scouts in their uniforms, and kids singing, or reading.
Took me a while to realize that this holiday is as much about inspiring the next generation as it is remembering the contributions of our servicemen and women.
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