The 1% Solution

"Someone asked me a while ago if I would do it again. My response - in a heartbeat I would..."

I have been reading as of late the small number of people in our country willing (or fit) to serve. When I say serve, I mean serve in our military. Any branch. How small is the number? Somewhere between .5 and 1%. Some say it is as high as 7%, but I could not find facts on that number.

I am a vet. Not a Viet Nam vet, a Viet Nam Era vet. I am proud I was able to serve during that era as well as during the first Gulf War era. I never looked at my service as being a burden. To me it was an honor. I did it for 21 years in both the Navy and Naval Reserve. I worked with other sailors, Marines, Air Force, Army and Canadian Forces. Once in a while I even interfaced with the Coast Guard.

I am proud of each and every person who has served. No matter the time frame. No matter the service. However (due to my age and experience), I am the most proud of the brave men and women to went to Southeast Asia to fight in a very tough war. Against an enemy who for the first time in our nation's history, was often hidden and ill-defined. Yes, I am talking about Viet Nam, and the 2.7 million Americans who served there in uniform from 1964 to 1975. And I am talking about the 58,148 who never came home. And the over 75,000 who left that war severely disabled. 

A few weeks ago, my wife and I stopped for lunch at a Culver's restaurant. We sat next to a table that had two gentlemen about my age, both in wheel chairs. One was missing a leg. Both were Marines. I knew that as they had Marine stickers on their wheel chairs. Someone had bought them lunch. It was the right thing to do. When their meal was over, they both thanked the man who bought their lunch. The man responded by saying, "No - thank you. For without Marines like you, we would not have our freedom." Bingo. I could not have said that better. Two vets, most probably wounded in Viet Nam, getting a "thank you" and a meal from a citizen in a grateful nation.

Many young men died during the Viet Nam War. Most of us know of or know at least one of them. Over half of the Americans killed during the Viet Nam War were under 21 years old. Just kids. Just kids, yet heroes. Each and every one of them. They fought for something more precious than the most precious mineral on Earth - they fought for someone's freedom. So people halfway around the world could experience freedom and liberty such as we do. And in doing so, they made the ultimate sacrifice.

A personal note if I may. Our sheriff was part of the 1% solution. In many respects he still is as once a Marine, always a Marine. And now both of his kids are Marines. He could not be prouder - nor could I be for both he and his wife.

So to the 1% solution, I say thank you. You are indeed special men and women. You live at the tip of the spear. You guard us and protect us in a world which is growing ever more dangerous with incredible evil. As for the rest of us - the 99%, thank you for "having our sixes".

Our military - on watch, ever vigilant, always needed, constantly appreciated. It has been like that for generations and remains like that today.