as a retired military,.. I am very proud of our military..
but I also feel that those who serve.. should be "honored" and that service to country isn't limited to the military..
many "serve with honor",.. at many levels.. pastors, police, fireman,.. civil servants,..
it is about putting ones' duty above ones' self..
police many times have to put themselves in the line of fire..
if you put "ALL" our troops on an equal footing,.. it is not fair.. as some did little and some did more then asked.
not all military served with honor,.. not all served much beyond a desk,, and few actually saw combat compared to those who served and saw combat..
would I put myself on the same level as a close friend who was a combat medic in fallujah, not only no, but hell no..
but a police officer who stood up to a gang of bikers such as in Waco Texas.. did more in that one moment to serve his community then most service members did in their entire career..
while I have been shot at,.. it wasn't the same.. it wasn't combat.. I was just lucky the guy was not a great shooter..
( and even if he hit me, I doubt I would have been entitled to a purple heart.. )
We should give "ALL" those who served no matter what how or where,
because when called to duty they would have stepped up.. be it a house fire, or stopping a thugs.. or even sitting at a desk
take for example a Pastor I know who is a good friend and a person I would turn to in a troubled time..
our (larger) church has all but disowned him.. and his congregation has shown they will stand with him..
in his car he has a bullet proof vest,... and some other tactical hear.. he is a volunteer police Chaplin..
he goes when called willingly and is always ready to step up. to him everyone needs someone to listen to and everyone is someone we should try to save...
I respect and honor him just as I do my friend who served in fallujah , not for what he has done,.. but for what he is willing to do..
