Remembering (My) Our Veterans

“It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag”…. By Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, USMC

In my other life before founding Saponifier, I worked in one of our nations largest cemeteries, which also had a very large veterans section.

Although some would view working in a cemetery to be gruesome or gross – I found it to be an honor. I found it an honor to lay to rest the Veterans who devoted their lives for the freedom of many. I found it an honor to manicure their graves and to clean their headstones. I shed many tears while I worked there.

I not only had the honor of burying someone else’s brother, grandparent, aunt or uncle – I was honored to have buried my own brother, grandmother, aunt, cousin and my husband’s parents. With that, I’d like to share *My* Veteran’s with you.

More than a million Patriots stand ready, or are actively defending our nation today. These men and women were not drafted into service, but volunteered to serve. To all of them – Thank You! Thank you for the freedom I have enjoyed by your unselfish sacrifice to our Country.