History, Honor, Tradition: A Tribute
He stands.
Even if no one else in the entire crowd rises to their feet, he will stand.
He will stand whether he has legs or not!
He will stand regardless of age, race, creed or religion.
He will stand no matter what branch of service.
He will stand, hands at his side, locked at attention.
Young or old, Frozen Chosin or Enduring Freedom, HE WILL STAND!
The color guard approaches. The anthem is played.
History, honor, tradition.
He stands.
By God, if he has to push himself up in his wheelchair,
THAT VETERAN WILL STAND!
And so should you.
ATTENTION ON DECK!
You are hereby authorized to rise up and honor our great country!
You are hereby authorized to place your hand on your heart when our Anthem
is played!
You are hereby authorized to pay your respects to the GREATEST FIGHTING
FORCE OF ALL TIME!
You are hereby authorized to thank a Veteran for his undying devotion!
Look closely. Glimpse his humility, capture his unwavering love for his
fellow Americans.
HE is the reason that THIS is the HOME OF THE BRAVE.
HE is the reason that THIS is the land YOU love.
HE is the reason that YOU CAN SLEEP SAFE AT NIGHT.
He will DIE before letting someone come into this land and take over.
He will lay his life down, in the humblest of ways and without a second
thought, to save his brothers.
He has fought the greatest battles of all time and he will continue to do
so, with or without recognition.
He is the embodiment of pride; he encapsulates heroism.
In the recesses of his mind, in the ghosts of his heart,
He can still see, can still hear,
Visions that will not dim,
Memories that will never fade.
In the mirror of each others faces reflect that common bond.
TODAY, we celebrate devotion and loyalty.
Raise a toast to those who have given years of their lives to serve,
Whose wives held their breath for immeasurable amounts of time,
Whose mothers whispered a prayer for their safety,
Whose fathers shed a private tear of pride.
ATTENTION! There is a VETERAN on deck!