Dear veterans,
This weekend is a holiday so that we may remember and honor the service you've provided for this country.
Regardless of whether people agree with the intervention in other countries or your mission abroad, we can't deny that the job you had is one of the hardest in the world. You must kill, defend, and grow up quickly. I can't imagine my little brother leaving when he's just eighteen to enter into the army because I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him, and there aren't any guarantees in combat. The sacrifices your families makes must be tremendous, the worry and the longing, so please let this be an homage to your beloved family members as well. I can't think of anything that must be harder than war, and it takes discipline, determination, honor, and courage to truly be a soldier.
Although it's true that most of the population has no idea what you went through unless they experienced it for themselves, and probably what you're going through as PTSD affects 13.8-30.9% of veterans depending on the war, just know that you are not forgotten, and that you are so very much appreciated. Despite the millennials and our habit of complaining of all the things wrong about our society, we have the liberty to complain. A simple freedom but a valued one. Through it all, I still love this country. I've had a good life living here with my family, and although the system is far from perfect, I know that the army stands for defending these rights, the right of choice and the right to live in a country that strives towards ideals of equality through the darkness of realities.
We have the opportunity to pursue anything we want and to an education. Simple things, but they are the privileges that are often overlooked and taken for granted.
So thank you. Thank you for sacrificing your lives in the name of this country where we can live, not in perfect safety, but in a place that's safer than most.
You've given so much, and we've received all of it. A thank you can hardly cover it.
Wishing all the best to you and your family now and always,
A Citizen of the United States
