Veteran's Day Parade

Yesterday: Saturday, November 8th, the City of Auburn, Washington, had a Veteran's Day Parade, and Bob's troupe was invited to march in it. (You can see him at the front of the column of men... looking quite serious).

I love Veteran's Day, and even though this wasn't technically Veteran's Day, it was a powerful reminder. I have run the gamut of emotions regarding the military in these last six years. In OIF 1 (the first deployment) I really believed we were freeing these poor Iraqis from a terrifying regime. I thought it was a good thing that we were bringing them democracy. In OIF 3, the second time Bob deployed, I was much more cynical. We know many people who have been injured and killed over there, and we know far fewer people who believe what we are doing counts on the large scale. Though Bob can tell you heart warming stories about how what they are doing matters on the small scale... like guarding a girls' school so the girls wouldn't be kidnapped on their way home from school. But that could be done anywhere. And it was only being done in a nation that was rich with oil. Coincidence?

Anyway, yesterday as I watched these service men and women and veterans of all ages marching down the street, it reminded me that we are not the first generation to go through this frustration and deployment cycle. We're not the first to fight in a war we don't agree with or support whole heartedly. And with Obama coming to office, I am hopeful that things will change down the road. I am proud of our veterans. They have such a tough job, and they balance it all on a very full plate. Service to our nation and Family Time have a way of battling it out, and there are only so many days in the year and hours in those days.

Thank you, Veterans, from the bottom of our hearts.