When I was a young boy I had 3 favorite holidays; Christmas, Independence day, and today of all days Veterans Day. Paying homage to three of my favorite ideals (getting free stuff, freedom and the men and women who fought for it) seemed to be high on my list of priorities and I always saw the connection of how they were intrinsically linked.
My brother and his dad always had me interested in the military. Playing “army” is a game I participated in even throughout my military career and multiple combat deployments. I have always loved and respected military service members and I remember the parades down route 62 outside of Alliance, Ohio and into the cemetery where my mother now lays as some of the fondest memories of my youth. The medals and the awards that shined on their chest were beacons of earned sex appeal that only a 12 year old boy could comprehend. They screamed one of my favorite sayings without saying a word through their decrepit old bodies and limbs that would never come back, “triumph over adversity son.” I was well on my way to becoming what my young mind perceived as being a good American.
While in the military, I was always confused when people would tell me, “thank you for your service”. I never quite knew how to respond and I eventually took to saying, “And I thank you for yours”. There were not many people who got that. I truly do mean it and that is my message today.
Everyday people go to work, fighting for the well being of their family, their community, their city, their region, their state, and their country. We may not always agree with what they are fighting for or how they are fighting but I do agree that I am glad that they are in fact, fighting. Too often do these people get overlooked; too often we forget to thank them and each other for their service and the part they play in making this a great country to live in.
As a veteran, I give my thanks to you, the people my brothers so graciously fought for as you fight for us every day at home. As a man who has vowed to serve the country and now taken a vow to serve our region as a Rust Belt Revivalist I thank all people who give a damn. I thank all the people who have made a personal sacrifice for someone else. Last but not least I thank America, our guiding light of personal freedom, our house that we have made home, and the place that gives us hope to fight for.
Rick Stockburger
