Ode to our troops revisited and the Purple Heart

Yesterday was Veteran's Day.  It was a day to honor our troops from all branches of service.  For me, it was a particularly memorable day as I had the opportunity to see my cousin perform in the 6th Annual Heatherwood Follies, a

Salute to the Troops at the Heatherwood Assisted Living Facility.  I had seen this show 3 years ago pre-Covid and it was wonderful to return again to see a cousin/resident sing her first solo "On Top of the World" and for her it was.  See my original post here.  

On my way home from the show I heard a very troubling story on Rachel Maddow MSNBC and this made the event all the more special.  During the prior administration there was a raid in Iran on the US Military Base ( January 2020.)  This was downplayed by the Trump administration to make it appear that there was minimal damage which could hurt politically.  Evidence is now coming out that over 100 troops suffered traumatic brain injury from this incident and many more were seriously injured.  The damage was downplayed during the remarks with the President a few days later.  Only a few were considered eligible to file for Purple Hearts at the time.  This is extremely troubling in that we should all honor and do what we can to make our Troops a priority in receiving full medical care.  They deserve recognition for their hard work and commitment to put their lives on the line to protect each of us.

We are in the midst of a crisis to our democracy and country. Subpoenas to understand the insurrection on January 6 are being ignored by key witnesses.  Seriousness of war casualties during the prior administration were underplayed to make a political statement.  We all need to wake up and be aware of what is going on around us.  We cannot let these little things slip by us.  Our future will depend on all of us speaking up for our beliefs and support of those who are in positions to protect each of us.  Thanksgiving is coming soon.  This is a time of year to think about gratitude and appreciation.  We all need to step back and reflect on the direction we want for our future and appreciate those who will fight to protect these values.  

With Gratitude I wish to thank our troops and those willing to speak up to defend our democracy.  

Wendy is a Realtor and freelance writer. She recently published her first book Coffee Connections: Finding Common Ground with My Daily Brew.