Rastoff
US Veteran
When I was 17 years 11 months old, I signed up for delayed enlistment. 8 months later, 10 Dec 1984, I went on active duty for the US Air Force. I served 5 years, 2 months and 22 days. Just 4 days after separating from active duty, I hired on at Edwards AFB doing the same job (PMEL) only as a civilian. I have worked at Edwards ever since. As of today, I have served our country for 31 years, 6 months, 21 days (yes, I found a date calculator on the internet Calculate duration between two dates).
The point of this verbose discourse is that I've been around the military and retired military for 2/3rds of my life. My father served and his father served. When Memorial day arrived, there has never been another thought than to remember our military and their sacrifice; not for my whole life. Sure, we had the day off school and cooked out, but we still remembered the purpose of the day. I don't know when it was officially made a holiday, but it's at least been around my whole life.
So I find it strange that there are those who don't know what it is or what it's for. Around the air base everyone knows about the military and most know at least one person working for the military. However, I now live in a town that's 50 miles from the base.
At our worship service yesterday the pastor asked people to stand who either served or had family who served so we could honor them. Out of about 400 people (two services) not more than 20 stood. That's a tiny number to me.
If I travel another 40 miles away from the base I meet people who have never even heard of Edwards AFB. I told a car salesman once that I worked at Edwards and he said, "What's that?" To him the Air Force was some distant story that had nothing to do with his life.
This is why I struggle with Memorial day. Because of my proximity to the military, I just expect everyone to have similar familiarity with the military. It's hard for me to come to the realization that there are millions and millions in the US that have had no contact at all with the military.
Currently, about .4% of the US population is on active duty and that number is shrinking. Include veterans and only about 7.5% of the US population has been on active duty. That leaves 295M people who have not served and never will. Now, there are a lot of bases, posts and naval stations around the US so, it's likely that you live within 100 miles of one. Even so, many who live right next to one don't know anything about it or anyone who works there.
Because I see them every day, the work that our military does is routine to me. I have personally worked with hundreds that have been deployed to combat zones and many more who never left the continental US. I understand the sacrifices they have made regardless of where they were stationed or what their job was. Alas, there are so many who have no clue what our military members do or how it affects their lives.
Most on this site either served or have some affiliation with someone who did. Today, while you remember our military, consider talking with someone who doesn't have a clue.
The point of this verbose discourse is that I've been around the military and retired military for 2/3rds of my life. My father served and his father served. When Memorial day arrived, there has never been another thought than to remember our military and their sacrifice; not for my whole life. Sure, we had the day off school and cooked out, but we still remembered the purpose of the day. I don't know when it was officially made a holiday, but it's at least been around my whole life.
So I find it strange that there are those who don't know what it is or what it's for. Around the air base everyone knows about the military and most know at least one person working for the military. However, I now live in a town that's 50 miles from the base.
At our worship service yesterday the pastor asked people to stand who either served or had family who served so we could honor them. Out of about 400 people (two services) not more than 20 stood. That's a tiny number to me.
If I travel another 40 miles away from the base I meet people who have never even heard of Edwards AFB. I told a car salesman once that I worked at Edwards and he said, "What's that?" To him the Air Force was some distant story that had nothing to do with his life.
This is why I struggle with Memorial day. Because of my proximity to the military, I just expect everyone to have similar familiarity with the military. It's hard for me to come to the realization that there are millions and millions in the US that have had no contact at all with the military.
Currently, about .4% of the US population is on active duty and that number is shrinking. Include veterans and only about 7.5% of the US population has been on active duty. That leaves 295M people who have not served and never will. Now, there are a lot of bases, posts and naval stations around the US so, it's likely that you live within 100 miles of one. Even so, many who live right next to one don't know anything about it or anyone who works there.
Because I see them every day, the work that our military does is routine to me. I have personally worked with hundreds that have been deployed to combat zones and many more who never left the continental US. I understand the sacrifices they have made regardless of where they were stationed or what their job was. Alas, there are so many who have no clue what our military members do or how it affects their lives.
Most on this site either served or have some affiliation with someone who did. Today, while you remember our military, consider talking with someone who doesn't have a clue.
