For many of you, this is nothing new.

I often do a reminder post of what we are celebrating this weekend.  A way to say thank you to all those who served and gave that final gift to allow me to sit here and write my stories.

I know there are people out there fighting about anything and everything lately.  That Confederate statues should be torn down.  That they were ‘pardoned’ by some act of Congress and so on.  That we shouldn’t be fighting other people’s battles, that we should.  That war should not be.

Sadly, our world has been formed by war.  It is has been around since man was made.  It has made nations, torn them down.  The stories were written by the winners, so we never know the truth of those long-ago battles.

I grew up during the Cold War.  I remember watching unbelieving that the Berlin Wall was being torn down.  It had been there my entire life up to then, as well as the threat of nuclear war.  Then I was in high school when the Desert War happened.  I lived in Tucson, AZ during that time.  For those that don’t know, Tucson is home to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.  In Sierra Vista, we have the Army.  It affected many of my classmates directly.

Then my cousins grew up and 2 of them went and served.  One in the Air Force, the other in the Marines.  Things started being even more personal.  I grew up with hearing about my Grandfather being in the Air Force.  So, I always had an insider view into life as an Air Force Family.  But now, I watched my aunt deal with her son being in the Air Force.

And I am proud of them.  So very, very proud of them.  They did what so few do.  They served our country.

Now I hear about how people disrespecting our soldiers.  Past and present.  I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA.  Proud as hell of being a Yankee.  When I moved to Houston, TX, I got to see more about the South.  It hit me differently than it did when we visited all the places in Virginia.  What I learned in those early years up North was not what I learned in the South about the war.  It was not just about Slaves.  It was about so much more than that.  And people went and died for that belief.

Just like they did to free us from England.  It was not about the Tea then.  It is never about whatever people tell you the main reason is.  There are so many other reasons why, but people want to sneer down at others.  They want to dump hatred on others.  Right now, it is the Confederate Army.  People don’t research the reasons behind it, they just judge and spit on other’s past.

I can’t say anything more on this because it hurts.  It hurts that there are others out there, getting undeserved attention for mocking the life sacrifice of others for their beliefs.

Because for one thing, you have that ability for being hateful due to other’s giving the ultimate sacrifice for your right to do so.

So while you have your bar-b-que’s, playing on the beach, bad mouthing whatever you think deserves it at that moment, remember, people died to give you that right.  And they keep on giving you that right, with each time one of our soldiers dies.  Cause until the Last Shot is Fired… they can’t put down those guns and come home.

I wrote this story a long while ago, meaning for it to be for one of the holidays that deserve it.  I am glad to remember it.  It is a mix of fandoms, but it is all inspired by ‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired by Trace Adkins with the West Point Glee Club.  The first time I saw it was presented by a Soldier who was wounded in Afghanistan fighting for your rights.

Please, do take a moment of your day tomorrow, remembering the real reason for the day.

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Kittyinaz