Forged Through Fire

This topic has been raging through my brain today since talking with a friend about this coming weekend and what this day means to me. It's very different and knowing what is going to happen and how people will react to you on Sunday because it's Veteran's Day hasn't been always easy. The appreciation hasn't been and is still very hard for me to accept some days. Yes, folks that's right I'm talking about Veteran's Day and why people appreciate Veterans themselves.

I had been talking to a friend for a good portion of time about this topic and asked what she thought about Veterans and how she views the people she knows who've served. Let's just take a moment and this about all the terminology that is associated with Veteran's Day and how people show they're gratitude. For a lot of people they say, "Thank you, Thanks for your service, Thanks, and other greeting." Today I realized that for doing what I did, during the duress of which the country was in at the time that my family and friends may call me a "Hero." Truth of the matter this is a word I have a very hard time with because I don't see how this word is associated with me. Understanding this means that looking deeply into why a person serves whether it's a moral conviction or just because they wanted too. Serving willingly and in the times that many of us Veterans served in which out country wasn't in the best shape. Still entering into the military knowing that we would be deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I'm just amazed at how my friends look at me and how they are able to say something like and what reinforces this title even is how I act humble about what I did. I continually try to down play the fact of what I did while I was serving. It's just a duty that you have to do and yes there are hard times, but that's the life you choose. Do I consider myself a hero ? No, I don't. Do my friends and family absolutely. The point is here being a soldier, sailor, marine, and airmen and doing what your country asks you to do isn't always easy. Lots of time you go through fire so that you can be forged into something greater. You see fire refines, purifies, and removes any of the unnecessary items that shouldn't be there. You see those of us who've been to Iraq and other places which our country sends us to to defend freedom is like walking through fire.
So we are forged through fire and become what everyone seems to think is heroes.

This is a very different blog than most that I've done in a while, but it's a good change of pace. As always I hope you enjoyed reading and learned something new about your nations veterans who've fought for this country. Take care and God bless!

© Nathan Fahlin