Recently I was at a local gun shop and one of the staff came outside for a break. He saw my Marine Corps license plate and said, "Thank you for your service." I knew this upbeat young man had lost both of his lower legs to an IED in Afghanistan and was medically retired as a staff sergeant. I replied, "Thank YOU for YOUR service," but it hardly seemed adequate.
On this anniversary of D-Day I say thank you to all those who served and especially those who suffered wounds for our country. And then there is the thanks we owe to those men and women who gave all (and their families).
I count myself lucky to have returned from war unscathed and I look back on my service with pride.
From now on when someone says, "Thank you for your service," my response will not just be "You're welcome," but I will add, "It was my privilege." AA