Stephen Tillotson is an undeclared sophomore. He can be contacted at [email protected].In just two days Thanksgiving will be upon us. Families all across the country will celebrate this late November holiday and they will give thanks for all that they normally take for granted. Things such as family, food and many other blessings will be appreciated.
Thanksgiving seems to be a truly American holiday because it celebrates the bountiful supply of food and resources for which our country is known. These things helped build and sustain the United States from its first days and its first wars so that this country could be as great as it is today.
Inevitably, this type of discussion leads to a patriotic mention of America’s troops who are fighting to protect our country and ensure the many freedoms we enjoy. You might be thinking that Veterans’ Day was only about a week ago and all this patriotism is getting a bit redundant. Well, in a recent news report I read, at least 28,500 troops have been wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Numbers are often unimpressive, but when I realize my hometown has a population of about 30,000, that number of wounded troops carries much more weight.
If you think about it, these wounded soldiers have to endure rehabilitation and surgeries just to gain some sense of normalcy. Many of these soldiers will have disfigured faces or amputated limbs.
Some may have a permanent limp while others may have to use a wheelchair. Trying to have a normal, productive life while having to deal with such physical obstacles is not easy, no matter what people say. Recovering from a bomb attack that blows off a leg or an arm is hard enough, but not being able to work because of it is even harder.
Not every wounded soldier is prevented from working, but even those soldiers who can work may have to pay extra medical bills while supporting a family. There is no reason our soldiers should have to struggle financially because they decided to fight for their country.
We try to put hero labels on all of these men and women who put their lives on the line for American and we forget that they have everyday lives and families to worry about. There are so many political arguments about the war in Iraq thrown all over television, but I seldom hear the bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers being mentioned. These politicians in their crisp suits tend to forget that there would be no war without soldiers to fight it.
So if you’re a politician or a mailman or a college student at Mississippi State, remember our troops at Thanksgiving. Be thankful that there are men and women who care enough about their country to fight for it.
When you give thanks for food, family and football, give thanks for soldiers, too. The Fourth of July and Veterans’ Day aren’t the only days that we should think about our troops. After all, they don’t really get to choose when to fight or not.