MyMilitaryMedals.com Blog
Soldiers and the Holidays
December 22nd 2011 - 11:40 am
To my fellow veterans and to all my brothers and sisters in arms in the armed forces around the world, I wish you a joyous holiday season. I am geographically close to Fort Carson in Colorado Springs Colorado, so my mind has been on the homecoming of these soldiers, but I am excited for all service men and women that are returning to our promised land, and even more so during the holidays. In general it plays a toll on the family of a soldier when they are away, but it is that much harder when they are gone for Christmas. No number of military ribbons can replace the time spent with your family for the holidays. Don’t take me wrong, we do need to extend our thanks and gratitude in a manner that is perpetual, and this is a good reason for having our military medals and military ribbons, but if there was a choose of one or the other, we would all take 5 minutes of time over another military award.
One of the most rewarding and emotional times is when our troops return from deployment. When they blare the tunes of “Proud to be an American”, and the troops march around the corner into view, the tears will flow. There is hardly a dry eye in the hanger, and emotions are freely displayed. I for one get choked up every time, and it only takes the playing of the national anthem to start it off. I love to see a mother with her children at her side looking on proudly as her husband is pinned with the awards that he has surely earned. I may not even personally know the soldier being awarded, but in that moment of time he is my brother. These men and women have risked their lives by just going into a war zone to protect our freedoms. They do this for all of us, yes it is their job, but they proudly take on this job like no other.
It takes a special person to give everything, and expect nothing in return. Being a veteran, I hold a special place in my heart for these brave men and women, and quite frankly I hold them above the rest. Not everyone can be a warrior in the best military in the world, so those that can’t make the cut, support our troops and show some respect. If it weren’t for the dedication of our young men and women in the military you may not even have the freedom to enjoy this holiday season in the manner that we do.
Those Military Ribbons and Military Medals are Family Heirlooms
December 20th 2011 - 10:46 am
I am contacted on a regular basis by individuals that are either trying to acquire replacement military ribbons and military medals, or just trying to get information about them. In either case I enjoy assisting folks that care enough to show respect for their loved ones and the military decorations that they have earned. I would say the majority of people needing assistance in re-constructing a family member’s military history has a good idea what they need, and are just looking for someone to assist them in replacing these awards, or they are looking for mounting of military ribbons and medals. There are those that just need to fill the gaps in their collection, and may need a ribbon or medal to do so. In either case it is always a pleasure to help educate an individual about these decorations or help supply them with the missing awards. It seems that there are times of the year that the demand for assistance in these ventures is much higher than at other times. Approaching our national holidays always is a high demand period of time for putting together a loved one’s display of awards. Memorial Day, and Veterans Day lead the way in inquires for help to get this job accomplished, but the Fourth of July follows very closely. As we are now in the Christmas holiday season we also get many folks wanting to present a loved one with a display of military awards that they have earned.
During the Christmas holidays the vast majority of individuals looking to put together a collection of military ribbons or medals are doing so for their father. There are still a great number that are focused on their mothers, brothers, or an uncle’s service, but the majority is for Dad. With our history being what it is, these fathers served in the Vietnam or Korean War, or may have served in a time period after World War II. If an individual is looking for help with WWII awards it is usually for a grandfather, and many of these warriors have passed, and we want to honor their service. There are also the most recent heroes of our military that have served in the Southwest Asia battlefield.
Now that we have finally exited Iraq we are bringing our service men and women home, and for this we are appreciative. Too many lives were lost in the last twenty years in a war that has been fueled by much controversy. Regardless of the motive behind a battle, a United States soldier will always step forward and fight for the ideals that have made this country great. We may not always agree, or understand why we are deployed to a region, but we in trust in our commanders and we move forward. In this current time of soldiers returning home we rejoice for their safe return, and we praise their dedication to this country. It is awesome to attend these ceremonies for soldiers returning home, and to witness the pinning of military medals which are a symbol of their acts of courage and valor. There is also another part of this equation, it is very difficult but it is also a part of war, and that is the honoring of our fallen comrades.
Most of us can only hope and pray that our loved ones will return safely, but we know that in every battle we will lose a few good men and women. This is a reality of war, and is the hardest part to deal with as a family member of a service member. Although we may do everything we can to express our thanks to the family of a fallen soldier, we cannot bring them back. What we can do is honor their service in the best way we know how, and ensure that we convey our thanks as a country, and express to loved ones that the selflessness of these fallen soldiers is what allows us to enjoy our freedoms. Although material items do not mean much in everyday life, at this particular time of loss, the presenting of the American flag and a soldiers military ribbons and military medals are something tangible to help keep the memory of a brave man or woman alive.
