THOUGHTFUL RAMBLING No. 22

"Thank You and Godspeed"

Like so many other people, for years, Veterans Day has been a holiday on the periphery for me. A special day to honor those who have served our country in the Armed Forces, but as much, a day when the banks were closed and government employees had the day off. Oh, the town might have everyone to the park for hot dogs and lemonade and a neighbor down the street might come by and put little flags in everyone's yards, but sadly, that's about all the thought I can ever really remember giving to Veterans Day. It's not that I didn't care. I simply didn't take the time to stop and show the respect that's due to those who in many cases have paid the ultimate price so that you and I can enjoy the freedoms we do.

Yesterday, in the warmth of a Texas afternoon, our scout troop gathered at Flower Mound High School with other groups of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brownies and Girl Scouts, as well as an ROTC unit from a local high school and we marched about 150 yards across the track that separates the football field from the stadium bleachers to pay our respect to a small gathering of Veterans and about 300 Flower Mound onlookers who too had come to pay their respects. Among the masses in the stands Sunday was a man in his Navy whites who last served our country in World War II. We figured even if he served at the end of the war, that was 63 years ago which probably puts him well into his 80s. He was there with a walker. But he was there. And we were all proud to honor him, even if only with something as simple as walking across a track with an American flag. I don't really know his story. But I'd sure like to.

When my father died, one of the things my brother and I did to help my Mother was go through the things in the top drawer of his dresser. That had always been the treasure drawer where you'd find things like half-used cans of Kiwi shoe polish, tiny seals from the Aleutian Islands carved out of Ivory and maybe a political button for Lyndon Johnson or Jimmy Carter. On this particular night, we also found a long, narrow navy box made of faded leather and a slightly rusted hinge. Gold filigree adorned each side and on top, there were three simple words. It said, "Bronze Star Medal." Upon opening the box, that's exactly what we found inside.

To be clear, my father never served in the military. Neither did my grandfather. And while my father was certainly a hero of ours, he never did anything heroic in combat. Certainly not anything that would have won him a Bronze Star we had never seen, nor heard about. We asked Mom about it and she too had no idea where it would have come from or who might have given it to Daddy. We assume it was a client he helped in some capacity. It remains one of the great mysteries I fear I will never figure out.

I want to know who it belongs to. I want to know why they would ever give it up. Someone earned that Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious service to our country. Someone stood up and fought for the freedoms I enjoy yet somehow now, through fate and extenuating circumstances beyond my comprehension, that Bronze Star has now made its way into my possession. It doesn't have a name. It doesn't have a serial number. To my knowledge, there is no way to tell who it belongs to. I'm sad for that. At very least, I would like to find the family to whom this medal, this recognition, this validation, rightly belongs.

In the absence of that, all I can do, is say "thank you." To my cousin Kathleen's husband Lt. Colonel Tom O'Connor who is missing his four children and beautiful wife so he can fight on my behalf in Afghanistan. To Reservist John Cox, a husband from our Sunday School class who is serving in the Middle East and just buried six of his friends. To all the Veterans who have fought and will continue to fight today, and every day so that I can sleep at night in the security and freedom of Democracy, my thoughts and my prayers are with you.

With the thanks of a grateful nation, have a happy, healthy and safe Veterans Day. And for those who are far, far away - come home soon!