Definition of Sacrafice

My visit last Tuesday to the Nation's capital caused me to do some thinking. As the mother of a soldier in the United States Army and an enlistee in the United States Marine Corp, I was humbled deeply by this experience. To see the rows and rows of tombstones of soldiers that have served in our nation's armed services, whether they died in the service of our country or of natural causes, did not matter to me. They served, sacrificed and placed their lives on the line for myself, my children, my parents and even my grandparents. They did not say "No, I'm too busy. No, I can't do it." Perhaps many of them were drafted to serve but they didn't run. They stood their ground and as a result, I have free ground to stand on myself. My children can ride to school safely in the town that my husband and I have chosen. My daughter is taking Spanish as a second language not speaking another language full time.

Michael my twenty one year old is leaving next year for El Salvador for a short time. He is following that with a trip to Iraq. He was told that that was a possibility when he enlisted. He signed on the dotted line anyway. He has been in the reserves for almost two year. He followed Grandpa Joe's footsteps by chosing Army.

Jarred, my almost 19 year old, made the decision to serve in the Marines this last summer. He signed up and will leave for boot camp as soon as he completes the credits that he was not able to pass last year in high school. I'd imagine that will be sometime early winter. He also knows the dangers of serving. He is following in PawPaw's footsteps by choosing the Marines.
I want to thank each and every serviceman, his or her spouse and family for the sacrifice that they have made yesterday, today and in the future for our country.