Veteran's Day... A thanks to so many who have done so much.

 “We need to thank all of our troops, and particularly those for whom we can never express enough gratitude for they have given their lives so that all of us may be free and that our democracy can be a shining light for the rest of the world.”    Virgil Goode

by Skip Cohen

Every year I write up the same kind of post, but this year I want to be a little different...

From a personal side I'm proud of my Dad serving in WWII and our son, Brian, who's made the army his career choice and is currently a Major.  Next come all my friends who served in Vietnam, along with contemporary photography friends and artists like Stacy Pearsall.  Then there there are hundreds of members of the armed forces who I see in every airport and I love the respect they get today.

There are organizations like HeartsApart.Org, Fisher House, JHP and Degage Ministries who created the video my buddy, Nick Vedros, sent me below. Too long to list, there are hundreds of other non-profit support groups spread out over each of your communities. They all need help and they all need volunteers. But you can't be involved if you're just watching from the sidelines. Life isn't a spectator sport.

We owe our veterans so much - none of them should ever have to live the life that Jim Wolf has faced in the video below. While I know there are almost eight million people who have watched this video already, it's worth it if you haven't seen it yet. For me it's not the transformation, but the hug at the end of the short film that gives it the impact.