Our Dearest Protector,   

You are a Hero. Whether you choose to see yourself as a hero or not, is your choice. And we all have freedom of choice. Thanks to you. 

Hero is how most of us see you. Whether we know it or not.  Why?

Because you answered the call of duty. Choose to protect. To protect our nation, states, cities, homes, families. Our lives and loved ones. Us. Americans.

You didn't make that choice just once. You made it over and over and over and over.  

You made this choice when.........

You left family and friends to enter service. To be the military and support them. Cook the meals, provide supplies, patch the wounded, listen to sonar, analyze data. Protect.

You went through the training and stayed, as it got tougher and tougher.

You learned new skills in the water, earth, air, space.

You travelled thru a baptism of hell and fire! Rose transformed. Stronger, tougher, hardened, more powerful......

You stepped up to do patrol, guard duty, take point, run the comms, rescue the children. The soul rocking things.

Deploying for months and years in cramped spaces, extreme conditions, with foreign people, cultures, climates. Always on guard. With brief periods of rest, funky rations and bunks, limited or no contact with what you love and hold dear. 

Pointing the gun, Pulling the trigger. Drawing the line. Hunting the objective. Knocking on doors. Clearing the rooms, the buildings, the tunnels. Taking the ground. Smelling the stench. Finding the bodies. Viewing the horror of evils unleashed. Rescuing the hostages, the victims. 

Trusting the leaders, civilian and military, their Intel, conclusions, decisions, commands. Following those orders, even when they didn't make sense, seemed silly, stupid, dangerous, wrong. 

Because you are a protector. Stead fast. Loyal. 

Under fire. From bullets, missiles, grenades, lasers. At all times. Leading. Following. Moving towards objectives. Hunkering down to secure the high ground. In the glaring days, the dark nights, the heat, the cold, the rain, the storms. 

Until......injured, healed, back with a unit. Or out. Among civilians. Who don't always understand.

Then....slowly......you find out....as we all did....that some dangers were lies. We were betrayed. All of us.

What makes you a hero, is you were willing to protect. To do the above. To serve. To lay down your life. To walk the hard road, live the hard life. Do the hard things. Your actions were in good faith. Your commitment true. You are still our Heroes.

Ours. We need you. Want you. Even if broken, you are precious to us. Treasured. You are beautiful as kintsugi is beautiful. Still wanted. Still needed. Still loved. Our protectors. Our Heroes! Ours. We love you!

With Respect From the Heart,

The American People