Recently two firefighters in Chicago died fighting a fire. Firefighters wait around until we need to be protected, often from ourselves, and then they come in and put themselves at risk to keep us safe. They do what I'm afraid to do and rush into the danger to protect us.
The comparisons are obvious. Police approach a suspicious and potentially dangerous situation so that I can stay snug in my home watching reruns of Bones. They keep the peace so that I can rest assured that my family is relatively safe.
And soldiers. Any better example? Sometimes leaving their family to live and work under extreme conditions, risking their lives and their health to protect our country. Last month Rachel and I were at the airport when a soldier was arriving home from Iraq. They announced over the intercom that he'd be arriving and that everyone was invited to welcome him at his gate.
Around 100 people gathered outside the gate to wait for this man. While we waited, I told Rachel that before airport security changed in the fall of 2001, there were always a lot of people waiting outside a gate. Whole families gathered to welcome fathers home from business trips and students home from college. We waited anxiously for our friends and family to get off plans and watched the door for them to arrive. Now we circle the airport outside baggage claim and greet our guests in the car. The world has changed in so many, many ways over the last 10 years.
But, back to that day at the airport - we all waited at the gate for this soldier to arrive home. We saw that he had family there. Nieces and Nephews who'd made posters and sisters with tears in their eyes as they answered stranger's questions. He's been gone 7 months. He'll be home 3 days. He'll be gone again until March. 3 days. Can you imagine?
The man from the USO (who looked a lot like Santa Clause) spoke to the crowd. He said that this man getting off the plane didn't know anyone was waiting for him at the gate. He would be coming off to a big surprise. The man said, "When he gets off the plane, I want to hear some noise. This man is a marine. Make him blush. " And we did. The noise when he came through the door was awesome. (And I mean that in the literal sense -- something that inspires awe.)
So, maybe some people came to clap and cheer because they were board waiting for their own flights. Maybe it was the general joy of the holiday season. But, I like to think that all those people were clapping for the reason I was -- to say thank you for keeping my family safe. Thank you for doing what I wasn't willing or able to do. Thank you for standing up for me when I'm safe at home. Thank you for being a role model about how to fight for what's important and how to protect what's valuable. These are good lessons.
Yes, I sobbed the whole time.
After I got Rachel on the plane and started driving home, I turned on the radio. First song to play was "An American Soldier" by Toby Keith. Here are the lyrics:
Raise a daughter and a son,
Be a lover to their mother,
Everything to everyone.
Up and at 'em bright and early,
I'm all business in my suit,
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success from my head down to my boots,
I don't do it for the money, there's bills that I can't pay,
I don't do it for the glory, I just do it anyway,
Providing for our futures, my responsibility,
Yeah I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be,
And I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekend's been too strong,
I just work straight through the holidays,
And sometimes all night long.
You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door,
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey I'm true down to the core,
And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price,
I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice,
Oh, and I don't want to die for you,
But if dying's asked of me,
I'll bear that cross with an honor,
'Cause freedom don't come free.
I'm an American Soldier, an American,
Beside my Brothers and my Sisters I will proudly take a stand.
When liberty's in jeopardy I'll always do what's right.
I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight.
American Soldier,
I'm an American Soldier.
Yeah, an American Soldier,
An American.
Beside my Brothers and my Sisters I will proudly take a stand,
When liberty's in jeopardy I'll always do what's right,
I'm out here on the front lines, so sleep in peace tonight.
American Soldier,
I'm an American,
American,
American Soldier.
"Yep. That's what I was thinking."
My father and grandfather are both veterans. My grandfather was in WWII. My father was in Vietnam. He has an amazing story; that I'll save for another day. But, he fought for all of you and for his own family, who didn't even exist yet. He left home to go to this strange and dangerous place to fight an unnamed war because it was just the right thing to do. And he literally risked his life to get back home and build the family that the soldiers and police and firefighters protect today. Another awesome thing.
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