America - "thankgivings"

Being a person of 'thanksgiving' may require you to do some work. Thanks seems so easy to give and in many situations it is easy and requires no thought at all. However, life sometimes can present situations that require you and I to go digging for thanks. Sometimes life will require us to do serious reflection as to the self-discovery of genuine reasons we find ourselves thankful. My patriotism and love for the United States is well documented. My personal appreciation for the men and women who have served our armed services begins with my knowledge and understanding of my family members and friends who have served. There have been times in our nations history that our citizens have not been forthcoming in honoring and showing respect toward those who were called to duty through the draft of our country's available resources or those that volunteered to help answer our nations call. I have heard various members of our current armed services speak about their questions of genuineness when folks say thanks today. Some wonder if the words are spoken simply to be politically correct during this time in our nations history, or if the gesture is real and from the heart. I've heard other military members say they accept the words shared and don't debate in their thoughts if their intentions have other motives other than a genuine thanks. Personally I believe you can spot the grateful citizens when our National Anthem is performed, the Colors of our Nation are presented in a flag ceremony, or passing in a parade. The Pledge of Allegiance is important to say and many have it memorized. Understanding the pledge and our responsibilities as citizens I would suggest is most important. Often in patriotic songs and speeches we hear words like 'a grateful nation' and our gratefulness should be a real reflection of our thoughts and a true appreciation for the gift of freedom we experience. Like most whose roots are in Kentucky we can discover our family members who fought from the American Revolution War all the way through to the current military actions which began in 2010 known as the American Intervention in Iraq. When I dig deep into the military experiences of just my life time the list is long: The Vietnam War 1959-1975; *Congo in Zaire; *1973 the Yom Kippur War when America provided weapons and supplies to Israel; *In 1976 the year of our Bi-Centennial Celebration we had two american soldiers killed by North Korean Soldiers for cutting down a tree, less we forget; (today the headline is Benghazi); *Operation Power Pack in the Dominican Republic; *The Laos-Cambodia Campaigns; *1980 Operation Eagle Claw during the American Hostage Crisis in Iraq and the failed rescue attempt by President Carter; and we've been in the Persia Gulf for decades now; *1982 President Reagan ordered troops to Sinai; then Grenada in 1983; followed by Honduras and Libya; *President George H.W. sent troops to Panama; 1990 Operation Desert Shield & Operation Desert Storm; *President Clinton sent troops to Kuwait & Iraq; *President George W. sent troops to Afghanistan and began Operation Enduring Freedom & Somalia-Operation Restore Hope; *President Obama faces old conflicts that continue and new ones each day. During this 'Season of Thanksgivings' we would benefit from personal digging/reflection of our gratitudes for these United States. We have opportunities that other parts of the world have no understanding of, simply because we live in the land of not only the brave, but the also the land of the free. Let each of us demonstrate the attitude of 'thankgivings'. Until then