The stories that don’t get told

I have had the amazing opportunity to go places and do things that most people never will. In between the standoffs and school board meetings, every so often I get to research and write about the things that make us human.

Last week, I was assigned to write about the Veterans Guest House welcoming its 100,000 guest. The factual headline read “Veterans Guest House welcomes 100,000 guest.” However, the story was so much more than that.

On Veterans Day we are supposed to take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices countless men and women have made in the name of American liberty. I got to reflect on the tears I saw in David Lantry’s eyes. He served in Vietnam.

I wish so badly everyone could have seen his face when he talked about the guest house and how thankful he was.

No matter what your political beliefs, whether you believe Korea was a war or a police action, whether Iraq is a mission of liberation or a quagmire, these soldiers are devoting their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to their country. There is nothing much more patriotic than that.

Lantry didn’t talk much about his experience in Vietnam. He did say a little about the people who come and go through the guest house as they seek local medical treatment. Some were World War II vets, others were form more recent conflicts. The finny thing was that they all had something in common. They had served their country and put their families on the line to do so. Even now, they were still feeling the effects of their service as they struggled with leaving family for medical treatment and suffering through the lingering physical effects of what they did.

One man that day was a cook in the U.S. Navy. He was on his feet so much that his arches fell, causing severe pain for years.

Another woman at the house was in the Air Force, and darn proud of being a female military member in a house full of male vets.

As I walked away from the house and to my car, I wondered, ‘what am I doing for my country?’

News flash - the world is not going to get better before the Savior comes again. In fact it is going to get worse. I cannot stress enough that this is our time to stand up for what is right.

We cannot be complacent anymore. Watch your elected leaders like a hawk. You cannot afford not to. Be active politically. Be critical about what is going on around you. The stakes are higher now than they have ever been. Your freedoms are on the line.

These men and women risked their lives for your freedom. What is your excuse?