I usually try to write a little tongue in cheek in these articles, but today I am going to change that for this article. I want all of you to know that we are proud of you, all of you. You may hear that the polls say different, but those polls are held by those who do not know about pride. You see there are still people who take pride in their work, in their families and in their country. They take pride in their faith and their God. When the polls are taken they are at work or at church or at home. These are the people that are proud of you. They know very well what sacrifice means. They do because you are their sons and daughters. You are the neighborhood kid that one day showed up in a uniform. You, all of you, are what hold up our hopes, our dreams, and our flag. There is no poll, no politician that could ever put into numbers or words this deep held pride.

I find myself trying to let you know, what you already know. We are proud of you, all of you. My life has brought me on the training field with many young soldiers. I have watched as they moved with young dogs. I have heard them laugh and compete against the elements, and I have watched them leave. Soldiers leave, they seem to disappear at the end of the drive. They go always smiling always certain to places where polls have no meaning. For us it is pride. It makes us smile to know that you know…….we are proud of you.

This article is for you…all of you. Remember it is pride we feel when you disappear down that drive. It is pride we feel when you once again appear at the gate once again. You are not only in our prayers and our thoughts, but in our hearts. It is you all of you that give us the courage to know that no matter how dark it may appear…you are there. This article is to let you know that we are here and we are proud of you, all of you. May God Bless you all, and may that Blessing overflow into our nation and our people…….Giddy up.

©Mike McConnery-Baden K-9,04/14/06,
If you have comments please email us using the form provided below: