Everyone wants to make sure we "thank a vet for our freedom." I would much rather thank the Constitution, to which all who serve swear an oath.
I would much rather we thank a vet, or a currently serving member of the armed forces for their sacrifice, not for our freedom, but for the vanity of our leaders. With the exception of the Civil War and the Second World War, the United States has not been involved in a war in which its very existence has been threatened (well, the War of 1812 probably counts, but I doubt the British would have known what to do with us had they conquered us, or managed to thwart our expansionist tendencies). The various wars against the native peoples, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, the Great War, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the various imperial occupations in Central America - tens of thousands of Americans killed and wounded on trumped up excuses, phony-patriotic slogans, outright lies, and fear-mongering.
I would thank a vet's family, or the family of a currently serving member of the military for the sacrifices they make, in lost time, lost love, lost wages, loneliness, single-parenthood.
Finally, I would make sure we remember there are 4500 dead who need not have died, and tens of thousands whose sacrifices have been neglected by the formerly-ruling party. Left to wallow in squalor and filth, their mental and physical anguish forgotten and even denied by a group of politicians not willing to demand any sacrifices for wars of choice. We will live with the damage wrought by shallow, venal politicians for decades. It is a shame that the ones who will pay the most are those most willing to put aside their lives for a country whose leaders aren't brave enough to have us all sacrifice.
If these are uncomfortable thoughts for you, I would apologize, but I cannot.
