This is a THANK YOU to all American veterans.

I am giving additional heartfelt recognition to everyone who traveled to foreign and dangerous

To all those men and women who weren’t relaxing on commercial flights waiting for the movie to begin, but were being transported to faraway places to participate in battles that we will never understand.

To those who were told before they deplaned, “Welcome to (Vietnam or wherever); we look forward to bringing you home at the end of your tour.”

To the men and the women who heard “Welcome home”, and to all those who never did, we salute you.

We are forever grateful for all of your sacrifices, and we recognize the price paid by your families. We acknowledge a debt that we can never repay. We  are forever wounded by the ultimate sacrifice paid by all who never returned. We recognize the emotion of those returning vets who bend down to kiss the ground when they return to American soil. We lament the loss of so many who never set foot again on the land they fought to protect.

For any disrespect, insult, or indifference you may have endured at the hands of an ungrateful citizen who couldn’t separate personal philosophy from your sacrifice, we apologize.

For the shame of not taking better care of you on your return, we promise to do all that we can to correct that injustice.