Don't forget to thank a vet today and every day

One of the most rewarding, fulfilling and defining experiences of my life was the eight years I spent in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States Air Force. The Air Force took a young man and taught me the tools of discipline and the importance of focus. I learned the meaning of duty and patriotism and teamwork during my time in the service. And the Air Force instilled in me a sense of public service that has remained with me for my entire life and is, no doubt, the reason I seek to serve my fellow citizens even today.

Because of my Air Force training, I know that anything is possible. After all, they trained me in both military security and air traffic control. They showed me firsthand the benefits of appropriate behavior and hard work, and I also saw the consequences to others when behavior was less than admirable or when one failed to work up to standards.

Although during my time in the military I did not serve in a combat role, I do feel a direct kinship to those men and women who are today defending our country and risking their lives in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. They are the new American heroes and heroines, risking their lives in defense of our way of life and for the freedom of others. They are selfless and dedicated, and they do not complain. In fact, they serve with such distinction and honor that we scarcely notice that more than 50 of our fellow New Jerseyans have died in the Middle East in the last few years and countless more have been wounded.

It was that statistic that prompted me to choose to write on this topic this week. I believe that it is critical for us all to think about our fellow Americans, many of whom are young, strong and full of life but who are today fighting in foreign lands. I believe it is important that we all need to find a way to mark their service, and indeed the service of all veterans, every day, and not just on Veterans Day or when someone in our hometown is killed in combat.

I am reminded of the pain so many veterans expressed, who, when returning from Vietnam, felt that their sacrifices were not appreciated. We cannot ever let that happen again. Those veterans and today's veterans deserve to be honored for their service and their sacrifices. Their sacrifices, after all, are the foundation that makes our nation great and upon which the road of freedom moves into the future.

They deserve so much, but at the very least, they deserve our thanks, a simple statement of gratitude from us. Easy to say, you might think, but what am I going to do about it?

Well, I am personally going to change the way I react when I see a young man or woman in uniform or when I am introduced to someone who has served. From this point forward, I will take just a few seconds to thank them for what they have done. I won't think it. I won't say I should have said it. I will say it - out loud and directly to them.

If you agree with me, please consider joining me in "thanking a vet today."

What do you think?

Steve Acropolis

Brick Township

Council President