One of my early memories came in September of 1945 when the president of the United States announced the end of World War II and the surrender of the Japanese. I recall how the neighbors ran into the streets of our Newport Beach neighborhood, singing, dancing and sharing bottles of alcohol. It was a truly joyous time in our country and the beginning of a new era.
I think that many people at the time thought that world-wide conflicts would be a thing of the past. But, as we all know that was a myth, a hope for a better future that many people shared. Because there's rarely been a time when there hasn't been a conflict between countries in some corner of the world or other.
Military conflict touched my own life in a very personal way when my youngest daughter came home one day and announced that she'd was joining the army just three years after terrorists knocked down the towers in New York City. When I said she couldn't do that without my permission she reminded me that she was 18 years old and didn't need my permission.
At first I was afraid she wouldn't come back but then I rationalized that the military probably wouldn't send a teenage girl into a dangerous area. But, before I knew it she was on the border of of Afghanistan and Pakistan in as much danger as anyone else.
Even though she was in a danger zone I somehow was protected from fear and believed she would come back safely. And she did come back whole. Though she has had psychological effects from her experiences.
Today we honor those who put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us from harm. There will likely never be a time when the warriors among us won't be sent to strange places to protect our country's interests, some putting their lives on the line and some losing them in the process.
I'm just grateful that my child lives a few miles away and I can visitor her whenever I like.
And today I get to thank her for her service.
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