Veterans Day: When You Don't Feel Worthy of the Thank You
Every Veterans Day, I find myself wrestling with a feeling that I don't often talk about - I feel inadequate. That's probably a strange thing for a veteran to admit on a day set aside to honor those who served our country. But I suspect there are others out there who understand exactly what I'm talking about. I am a United States Marine. I earned the title, wore the uniform, and proudly served my country. Nobody can take that away from me, and I wouldn't trade that part of my life for anything. But here's something else about my service, I never deployed overseas, I never stepped foot in a combat zone, I never experienced the fear of incoming fire or the unimaginable responsibility of carrying a wounded brother off a battlefield. My service kept me stateside and yes, for my fellow Marines, I was a POG / a pogue. Our unit had a front-line mission, but my particular responsibilities weren't kicking down doors or charging enemy positions. And I'm perfectly c...