In the late 1940s my dad graduated from high school and then found himself drafted into the army. He said it was like every teenage boy from his community of San Gabriel suddenly found themselves training for war at a desert base in Central California. I don’t know if he saw any combat in Korea, but knew he was a sergeant before he shipped out and was a martial arts/hand-to-hand combat trainer in Japan. Even though he didn’t volunteer, he was proud to have served our country and learned life-long lessons about surviving difficult situations and the benefits of being disciplined and focused towards ones goals. He also experienced the world beyond his little community of San Gabriel and that made him want more from life than just having a job and settling down in Southern California. While our lives took very different paths, I think I got this determination to make a difference from him and from his example of service to our country. Happy Veterans’ Day, dad. 

Is there someone in your family or a family friend who has been an example of service and sacrifice for their community and family? Have you taken the opportunity to tell them, “Thank you”?