Proud to be an American

The news about Sgt. Brian Reed having his medals and other property stolen is pretty upsetting. This man put his life on the line during two tours of duty in Iraq and some punk thought it’d be a good idea to steal his medals, uniforms, and other personal property. That is really offensive. I hope they find who ever did it.

The Sons of the American Legion are stepping up to help do something about it; they’re working to replace the medals stolen. Reading about it got me to thinking about my grandfather who passed away this past September. He was a part of the American Legion. I’m not sure if he had a medical problem or if he was just too old, but he served stateside during World War II. He was a guard at German prison camp in Wyoming. He was very proud of his service during the war and his ties with The American Legion.

Papa (that’s what we called him) died 4 days before his 94^th birthday, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. He had a long and happy life and he did well for himself and his family. We were all very proud of him. But when we got to the graveside service, and the American Legion showed up to play taps, give a 21 gun salute, and present my uncle with the American flag, it was more than I could take. Actually, it was more than any of us could take; we all ended up balling like babies. Papa would have been very proud.

I learned something new that afternoon. When a man or a woman agrees to serve in our military, they deserve to be proud of themselves - no matter how they served.

And they deserve our respect.