Happy Veterans Day to all who have served

To those who have served
in the reaches of the north,
the sands of the desert,
the heat of the jungle,
and on the swells of the sea…

To those who have walked through the valley,
heard the scream of the rockets,
smelled the smoke and seen the wreckage,
and comforted those who have…

To those who have watched the screens for warning,
waited for the order you hoped would never come,
guarded the land and seas and skies,
and to those who had to send them when you couldn’t go…

To all who have carried out the mission, flawed as it may be,
To those who returned to jeers instead of cheers,
To all who served in the cause of freedom,
For just a few or for a stretch of years…

Thank you.