I must admit that this is the first year I have attended the Veterans Day parade. The experience struck me more deeply than expected. Of course I am proud of my country. It seems obvious that I would be grateful for those who have served to protect our freedoms. However, what touched me in that moment of watching the parade was remembering every male figure in my family that I have known from my childhood has served in some branch of the military. For many years I had the blanket that my Great Grandfather used in WWI. He gave it to me personally. His sons were in WWII. My father was in Vietnam, my daughter’s paternal grandfather is a career military man who has served in the Air National Guard on many tours of duty, my paternal uncle another Airforce man; all of these men served for various amounts of time and with different reasons. So as I stood there (for what was apparently the longest parade in history) I teared up a bit honoring those men and women who work for us today and remembering the history of those men in my family who have served. It is easy to forget what they must have survived in order that we may call our home just that, our home. And while we may all have different political views/perspectives, the one thing we can be thankful for is the sacrifices of those who have served (and their families sacrifices) since the inception of our country . So please remember our veterans as you give thanks this Thursday and have a safe holiday.
Don’t forget, you can keep up with all the best local events in Knoxville every week of the year if you SUBSCRIBE to my Knox & You in 52 Event Calendar. Interested in living near Downtown? Read more and search for real estate in Downtown Knoxville HERE.
Hope to see you around real soon…
