By Josh Church, Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
After the Vietnam War, it feels ungrateful to struggle with hearing “thank you for your service.”
Those men came home to a country that often did not appreciate what they endured. After the September 11 attacks, Americans made a point to respect those who served. People would stop us in airports, restaurants, and stores just to say thank you. But many veterans still do not know how to respond to it.
When someone says, “thank you,” they mean it in a broad and honorable sense. But for many veterans, service is not abstract. It is specific. It has names, faces, and moments attached to it that never leave.
Sixteen years later, I still remember standing watch in the middle of the desert in Afghanistan with a 240 machine gun in my hands when the call came over the radio that a helicopter had become a “hero flight.” That was when I knew one of my men was going home in a bag instead of in a seat. You never forget moments like that.
When someone says, “thank you for your service,” my mind does not go to what I did. It goes to the ones who never made it home. Those are the ones I thank for their service. They gave the last full measure of devotion.
That is the standard many veterans quietly measure themselves against, and when you measure yourself against those who gave everything, it is hard to feel comfortable accepting praise for simply coming home alive.
Memorial Day is not only about remembering sacrifice. It is about being worthy of it.
One of the most powerful scenes in Saving Private Ryan comes at the end, when an elderly James Ryan stands before the grave of Captain John Miller at Normandy and asks his wife, “Tell me I’ve led a good life. Tell me I’m a good man.”
What haunted James was not simply grief. It was whether he had lived a life worthy of the sacrifices others made for him.
I believe many veterans understand that feeling.
When someone says, “thank you for your service,” I silence the unrest in my mind by promising myself I’ll one day be worthy of it.
And I challenge those who thank veterans to do the same. Do not just say “thank you.” Live worthy of the sacrifices made for this country.
You serve your country not only through bearing arms, but through lifting up your neighbors, building strong families, volunteering your time, staying engaged in your community, and helping ensure it is governed with integrity and care.
Demand leaders who take their oath seriously. Leaders who understand public office is not about status. It is about service.
The men and women we honor this Memorial Day gave everything they had for this country. The very least we can do is build something worthy of what they gave us.
Must Read Alaska says thank you to all our amazing veterans.
