Several years ago my wife and I watched the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.” The impetus for watching this series was seeing the movie “Saving Private Ryan” and wanting to know and understand more.
The impact on both of us was profound. I can’t speak for my wife but want to share a few of my thoughts from that show on how it affected me.
I have never been a big history buff but have also found that when I engage in something historical, whether it be a movie or a visit to a historical location, I am fascinated by the experience. If I’m visiting a historical site I find myself envisioning the people as they would have appeared during the time or the event.
In 2009, my wife and I had the experience of being in the rooms where Washington and Lincoln died. I remembered standing in the very small house across the street from the Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. In my mind, I could see them carrying the president in the front door and placing him on the tiny bed in the tiny room just off the hallway leading into the house.
As we watched “Band of Brothers” I did my best to place myself in the position of those soldiers. I resonated with the fear that was so well portrayed. These were just regular guys like I had grown up with a generation later. At seventeen and eighteen they were participating in high school sports or working their after school jobs. At eighteen and nineteen they were defending our freedom. They were killing and being killed so that in 2019 I could sit at my computer and write about it.
As I watched I came to another realization. The further we get away from The Greatest Generation that served in World War II the more the memory and impact of what we went through as a country is lost. That was a war that the entire country fought in some way shape or form.
I remember my parents telling me stories of things they had to sacrifice for the war effort. I even have a ration coupon book from my grandfather. As those veterans and that generation dies off I believe we become softer and less resolute as a nation.
Our soldiers of today are no less courageous and brave and deserving of our gratitude. They are engaged in a nebulous war with undefined enemies using unthinkable tactics. As these men and women fight this seemingly never ending war it seems we are barely affected here at home. It seems we rarely hear about it anymore and it has been relegated to back page news.
And yet, these courageous men and women fight on. They give their lives in whole or in part for a way of life that we all too often take for granted.
We fail to take risks in our lives because we are afraid of someone might think.
We fail to take risks because we are afraid we might fail.
We fail to take risks because we might embarrass ourselves a little bit.
Our service men and women have for generations courageously risked everything so we could live in a country where we can literally do anything. As we celebrate Veteran’s Day this week, thank you to all of our military personnel for your willingness to give up everything for us and for me.
What will you do this week that requires a little bit of courage and makes you feel a little bit uncomfortable?
Do it for those who are willing to give everything for you!
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
Do you need a speaker for an upcoming event? I’d love to be that guy. You can reach me at dave@cultivatecourage.com or 952-200-7499.
You can now buy the book “Cultivate Courage” on Amazon! https://amzn.to/2Osfxpq
This was originally posted on Nov. 9, 2015.
