This article is for a few things. It is an announcement that I've made the choice to start the process of joining the US navy, it's to thank the troops out there fighting for this country and, it's intended as a wake up call to all of those who don't recognize what the military does.
My family is a naval family. My grandfather, another Peter Corr, ran a naval base and was a career naval officer. My aunt Elizabeth was also in the navy and constantly spoke so highly of what it taught her. I think everyone feels it, especially boys, the call to serve your country and defend the home front. Maybe that's because I'm from a family that valued what officers and military personal did so greatly.
We never really do take into consideration all that the boys over seas give up to defend this country. Those are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, boyfriends and girlfriends, those are people leaving all of what is most important to them behind to protect us. They miss birthdays, New Years and Christmas, class reunions and parties. They give up everything for this country and put their lives on the line everyday, and some people have the nerve to bad-mouth them. To be clear, the man that you bash for joining the armed forces because you believe that war is bad, probably doesn't like war either. He doesn't want to be away from his family and he doesn't want to be getting shot at. But he is. He's out there and he's protecting you. So you're not the one being shot at. He is putting his life in the line so he can defend your right to free speech. Free speech isn't something that is free. It comes with the cost of many lives over the years. Yet some people don't even say thank you. Not only that but there are people with the nerve to bad mouth military and police officers because of a few bad apples or the way the media portrayed a situation. Unless you were there you don't know what cause the officer to do what he had to, or the veteran to do the same. Every group has bad apples but so many people are demonizing the armed forces as a whole for a few duds. Yes mistakes have been made with ill will, but an overwhelming majority of people serving this country are protecting it with the best intent.
So to the people who burn flags in protests or have the nerve to say something bad about the armed forces, who gave you the right? Oh yeah, the armed forces.
