Veterans Day Tribute [Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert Professional Photography]

         

            I don't ever remember honoring Veterans Day. I mean, truly honoring it. My attitude towards it changed last year. This is Larry. 

            Larry served in the army and like so many others, he served in Vietnam. My understanding is that the draft required 2 tours during that time. Larry had a younger brother named Ed who was eventually drafted as well and served overseas, but never in Vietnam. It had been somewhat of a mystery for quite sometime. How could Ed, a young drafted man serve 2 tours, be sent overseas, and somehow never end up where he was probably needed most? I found out the answer last year. There was a rule in place that prohibited both sons to serve simultaneously. While they could both be drafted and sent overseas, they couldn't both be in Vietnam at the same time. I learned last year that the reason Ed was never sent to Vietnam was because his older brother had quietly volunteered a 3rd tour to keep his younger brother from the horrors that war can bring. That big brother is my Uncle Larry. And that younger brother, Ed, is my father. He doesn't talk about it. But we know of his sacrifice. It occurred to me last year that his sacrifice probably had an affect on my childhood.... how it might be different because my father had been spared and didn't have those experiences as part of his history. I sat down to think about who else I knew that served our country besides my Uncle Larry and my dad. There's my other uncles: Richard, Craig and Clyde. There's the one I've never met: my father-in-law, Glenn. More recently, my own brother, Kevin and my cousin David (Clyde's son). So today when you see a vet, let them know they are appreciated. Lastly, I'd like say that we talk of those who serve as being honorable and serving with honor. But in my Uncle Larry, I see a man who served with love. And for that I adore him.