TO UNDERSTAND A MILITARY VETERAN

* We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.

* We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.

* We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.

* We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.

* We found new friends and new family.

* We became brothers and sisters regardless of colour, race or creed.

* We had plenty of good times and plenty of bad times.

* We didn’t get enough sleep.

* We smoked and drank too much.

* We picked up both good and bad habits. 

* We worked hard and played harder.

* We didn’t earn a great wage.

* We experienced the happiness of a mail call and the sadness of missing important events.

* We didn’t know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.

* We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.

* We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.

* Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn’t.

* Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn’t.

* Some of us dealt with physical warfare, and most of us dealt with psychological warfare.

* We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.

* We participated in time-honoured ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.

* We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it all.

* We have dealt with victory and tragedy.

* We have celebrated and mourned.

* We lost a few along the way.

* When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.

* We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.

* We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will understand.

* We speak highly of our own branch of service and poke fun at the other branches.

* We know, however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.

* Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.

* It has no monetary value, but at the same time, it is a priceless gift.