The greatest of their generation

Last Friday I attended the graduation ceremony for a large suburban high school. Overall, it ran its course as these things usually do-teenage exuberance mixing with adult earnestness one last time with a special dash of triteness. There were two dramatic moments made more poignant by the calendar.

The first came as the principal recognized the various groups of seniors who had received academic honors and other distinctions. He concluded by asking those members of the class who were entering the military to stand. The applause started and then everyone-faculty, administrators, and the thousands in the audience-- rose to their feet in a sustained ovation.

Never was such an honor more richly deserved. America has been at war since those kids were ten years old. Yet, after all the headlines, the casualty reports, and the funerals (central Pennsylvania is well aware of the cost of Afghanistan and Iraq), these young men and women volunteered to wear the uniform and serve this country.

The second moment of clarity came soon after. The principal asked four seniors to stand and wave to their fathers. Those men were not in the audience; the students waved at the video camera recording the proceedings. The fathers were in Iraq and were watching the ceremony via Skype.

The next morning was, of course, the D-Day anniversary.

The Greatest Generation deserves all the praise and honors we can bestow on them. But we must also remember that not all the heroes are old men. The United States is still blessed with men and women who possess the same dedication, courage, and patriotism that was on display at Tarawa, Normandy, and Midway.

This from Ace of Spades gets to the heart of the matter:

Veterans of the Normandy landing are becoming scarce now that we're sixty-five years down the road from that horrible day, but if you know one of them, make sure to thank them on this day. And don't limit yourself to D-Day vets - whether it was Normandy, Okinawa, the Chosin Reservoir, the Tet Offensive, Grenada, Panama, Mogadishu, Fallujah, or just some godforsaken mountain road at the ass-end of Afghanistan, EVERYONE who served this country in uniform deserves a hearty handshake and our everlasting gratitude on this day.

And those veterans who never saw a shot fired in anger? Thank them too. As John Wayne once said in his last movie role, "It's not about being the fastest gun: Its about being WILLING." Everyone who wore the uniform was willing to "go see the elephant", and that willingness sets them apart from the rest of us.

All across this country there are thousands of future veterans who are "willing". Whether they are enlisting, attending the service academies, or enrolling in ROTC, THEY CHOOSE TO SERVE well knowing the costs and the risks.

And we must remember and honor their service and patriotism