All Gave Some...Some Gave All

I had a really neat experience on Sunday evening. I had the opportunity to go to a Patriotic Fireside where veterans were honored for the time they had served in wars. As men were called to go up and receive medals for serving in WWII and then the Korean war my heart was full. Seeing them up there with tears in their eyes for being honored for serving their country.

Then I watched as one man was called out of the audience to go up as a Vietnam veteren. He received three medals that had never been given to him during his time of combat. One of them was a purple heart. His body shook with emotion and a look of gratitude on his face. He served in a conflict that no one wanted to be a part of. He came home on a stretcher with the backs of his legs blown off from a land mine. He was told he would never walk again...and proved everyone wrong as he walks to this day. He endured criticism for loyally going when his country called him to go. There were no parades of gratitude. There was only hate and spite.

He quietly went back to life. He doesn't talk about his experience often...if at all. Loud noises still make his body jerk into a soldier's response. He is one of the bravest men I know. He is my father-in-law. Watching him receive those medals...made tears come to my eyes. He was not forgotten.