The Things We Owe
At the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the guns finally fell silent across Europe. The war that was supposed to end all wars was over, although history would prove otherwise rather quickly.
Today is Veterans Day, and I think it's worth remembering what we're actually recognizing.
The men and women who served weren't all heroes in the Hollywood sense. Some volunteered, others were drafted, and I imagine quite a few would have preferred to be somewhere else. They were ordinary Americans who interrupted their lives, left their families, and accepted responsibilities that most of us will never be asked to assume.
Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." It's a wonderful observation, particularly because we tend to think of freedom as something we've inherited rather than something we're responsible for preserving.
We spend an awful lot of time discussing what we're entitled to, what we deserve, and what somebody else ought to be doing for us. There's considerably less discussion about what we owe one another, or whether we're doing our part.
America celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, quite an accomplishment for a country that has spent much of its history arguing with itself. We've survived wars, depressions, political divisions, and more than a few predictions of our imminent collapse. Through it all, ordinary Americans have continued to answer when their country called.
Most veterans returned home, went to work, raised families, and got on with their lives. Some carried experiences they rarely discussed, and others probably wondered what all the fuss was about when someone thanked them for their service.
I suspect many would rather we remember what they served for than spend too much time telling them how remarkable they were.
To those who served and to the families who shared in that service, thank you.
Warmly,
Pat Volk
Resolute Wealth Management