I remember

     Today is Veterans Day. For our neighbors to the north, it is Remembrance Day. Either way, it is a day to remember and appreciate the sacrifices made by so many for so long in the service of our nation.
     I want to say from the outset that I never served. Born in 1960, I became eligible for the service in a time when we were not actively engaged in any conflict. I still could have joined, of course, but the impetus for serving was less in the late 70s and early 80s. 
     I nearly joined anyway. In late winter of 1980, I walked into an Air Force recruiting office in downtown Seattle and subjected myself to several days worth of testing. The recruiter was bemused by my results. I tested very well in a number of areas, but scored in the bottom ten percentile in spatial reasoning. He looked at me and said "Son, how do you manage to walk through doors without hitting your head on one side or the other?" With scores like that, being a pilot was out. Before I got a chance to sign my enlistment papers, I was offered a job on the air in the garden spot of Hardin, Montana. I chose radio over the Air Force and never looked back.
     And so, on all these Veteran's Days ever since, I can only feel gratitude to the many who have served so that we can all be free. I know how fortunate I am that I never had to lay my life on the line for the way of life I believe in. The fact that I never did only makes me more grateful to those who did.


     Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes. Napoleon Bonaparte.


Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines don't have that problem.  Ronald Reagan



A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.  Joseph Campbell



     To all who have served, and by doing so have made my life and the life of my family possible, thank you!