Feeling pretty grateful for veterans

By Jessica Coleman

Staff Writer

I have long believed that gratitude is the secret to happiness. It’s a motto of mine; something I say to myself daily. Recently, I have been overwhelmed with gratitude. 

I spent the last few weeks interviewing veterans for our Veteran’s Day tab, and it’s been quite a profound experience for me. 

These men invited me into their worlds, showed me little snippets of their lives, and shared with me their joy, their heartbreak, and their wartime fears. 

Stories of losing friends at war, “Dear John” letters received and funny anecdotes still dance through my head when I lie down at night, reminding me of all I have to appreciate, and exactly what the cost of those things is. Lives, loves, months and years away from families enable me to have all the things today that I do my very best to not take for granted.

I had never wiped away a tear in an interview before I heard Mr. David Murff say “Jonesey didn’t make it back,” as I watched him run his hand across his friend’s photo.

I was invited to visit the American Legion in Ganado, who had me dine with them, refused to let me pay for my meal, and allowed me to sit in for one of their meetings. They called me “Ma’am.” They answered questions with a level of honesty and openness I couldn’t have expected. They asked questions about me and my life with genuine interest. We talked about our pets, our children, my husband and their wives. I was treated like such a lady by a group of such amazing gentlemen. They and the Auxillary ladies kept thanking me for being there, but the pleasure was all mine. I kept wondering how it came to be that these brave men who fought for my freedom were thanking ME. The answer, of course, is that they are humble, something I noticed in every single one of the people I spoke to. 

I was invited into people’s homes, trusted with irreplaceable photos, and given raw, honest tales of valor, foxhole fears, and missing home. 

It would be impossible to capture all of the emotion involved in writing these in just a few paragraphs, but I hope I’ve done these individuals as much justice as a short newspaper article can do. Mr. Schomburg, Mr. Brzozowski (I’m more than a little excited that I finally learned to spell that), Mr. Juarez, Mr. Sless (he would insist I call him by his first name, Daniel), and the rest of the American Legion, Mr. Murff, and my neighbor Mr. Ken Harter and his friend Mr. David Gregory – who were both happy to talk to me when I just popped next door for an interview – thank you for your bravery, and your willingness to allow me a glimpse of these little pieces of your lives, and yourselves. To every other veteran, thank you for your time away from home and personal sacrifices. I am grateful beyond words. I am humbled and awestruck by these people who gave up so much to allow the rest of us to enjoy the freedoms we do today.

To everyone else, thank a veteran today. Shake his or her hand. Tell him or her thank you. It means the world to them.