Extraordinary Veterans

By Marilise Stamps

What makes veterans extraordinary is how ordinary they appear to be. Veterans might be somebody’s uncle, mother, daughter, or brother. A veteran may be a father that teaches his son how to fix his car. A veteran could be a child’s grandfather who turns down his hearing aid when he doesn’t want to listen to his wife. What you don’t realize is that the father’s mechanical skills come from repairing a ship’s engine for 25 hours straight during the Korean War, and the grandfather lost his hearing from artillery fire in World War I. The quiet, ordinary lives of veterans belie their courage and sacrifices they made for this country.

Not a lot of people could pick a veteran out from a crowd. They don’t walk around decked out in medals, or brag about what they have experienced. You can’t see what they’ve seen, or know what they know. All of this seems to be locked in a vault somewhere inside of them, and no one is allowed to see. How, then, are we supposed to distinguish these veterans from ordinary people? How are we supposed to honor them for what they’ve accomplished for our country through courage and valor? Can it be that veterans don’t expect us to recognize them for what they’ve done? Veterans could just be exceptional people who don’t seek exceptional treatment.

Look around you. Look for that ordinary individual that may not be so ordinary. Look for that person who doesn’t stand out in a crowd but deserves to. Look for that selfless individual who gave more than most of us dream of giving. Recognize that person who didn’t seek recognition……………………

You never know, you are more than likely sitting next to one in the dining room, on the bus, at exercise class, or in the lobby at Creekside.