HONORING OUR VETERANS

Never Over

In the line at Home Depot. I held out my ID card to get the military discount. It was only 10
% but every dollar counts.

A tall bearded man behind me in line said, “It's been a long time since then?

I turned and looked at him and said, “It has”.

“Were you in-country?” he asked.

“No. I was on a ship in the Navy.” I said suddenly embarrassed.

He said, “It’s still hard sometimes.”

“I know, I have friends who have told me. I know it is not the same but I thought it was over a few times when ordinance was dropped at my feet.”

We looked at each other.

” I don’t sleep well. Last night I was up at four in the morning watching out my back window. I had a gun in my hand.” he said in a low voice. “I was in medical evac.”

I could hear the sound of helicopter blades, sizzling near-miss bullets, and the cries of wounded men when I looked at him standing there with a cart full of mulch.

In that moment I knew the pain and stress he felt even today and would for the rest of his life.

“You were appreciated then and are now,” I said knowing it wasn’t enough.

He looked me in the eye and said “Thank You.”

He offered his hand and I shook it firmly.

My wife turned from the clerk and said to him “Thank You for your service.”

He straightened up and with a slight nod said, “You’re welcome.”

As I walked away, I thought about those who died and now those who died a little everyday standing watch in the dark in their own back yard.