Although the aftermath of 9/11 seems to be a faded memory for most of us, the casualties of war are far from over. Since being back stateside, I noticed that many stadiums, ballparks and arenas now take the time to recognize veterans and or a "Hometown Hero". This is a concept that I admire and would like to be a part of. Often times, the unit or individual featured, is either currently stations in that state or are originally from the area. Spectators get to see still images of the service member(s) on the jumbotron, while learning a little about their background as well as any medals/accommodations that they received. It usually concludes with with when he/she returned home or when they are expected to return from deployment. This tribute is truly amazing and helps to remind all of those in attendance that there are still men and women out there fighting, and that it is because of individuals like them, past and present, that we have freedoms like being able to watch a game with friends and family.
I really admired this "Hometown Hero" campaign that the NFL is a part of and wanted to find out more about it. I recently ran across an article from AJC.com, that made my heart drop. It talked about how teams are actually being paid to participate in this campaign, the highest grossing, receiving as much as $1 million in the span of four years. Before jumping to any conclusions here, I wanted to make sure to find more information on this and ensure the "facts" I was reading, were backed by a credible sources. According to SBNation.com, the Department of Defense in fact paid the NFL more than $5 million over four years to participate in this program. True, although the exchange of money between hands here does not necessarily take away from what this event means and or brings to military personnel; however, I want to start something where the only motivator is to give back and show our appreciation to the brave men and women who fight to defend our freedoms and recognize the families that stand behind them. This is not for profit or personal gain. This is a way to give a final reveille to those that gave their lives for this country by giving back to their families.
Maybe the woman you see at the local grocery store has her hands full, and there are kids yelling and screaming and she is clearly overwhelmed. Instead of thinking she is irresponsible and shouldn't have that many kids because she clearly can't handle them, think about this...Maybe she is like the wife of Staff Sergeant McDuffy, a recent widow who lost her husband and partner during his last deployment. Wounds are not only shown on the outside, but on the hearts and should of those affected. The concept here is to say, "thank you for what you and your family sacrificed in order to protect me and mine."
To all the men and women of the armed forces, past and present, thank you for your service. To those who gave their last breath for this country, I will do my best to ensure your sacrifice was not in vain. And to the families and spouses of those who stood by their Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Air Mens, awaiting their return, we couldn't have done it without you.
