Films like Saving Private Ryan stir me, especially in that final scene where an elderly Private Ryan, standing by Captain Miller’s grave, asks, "Tell me I’m a good man." This line reminds us of the lifelong weight of sacrifice and the question many veterans may ask themselves: Did I honor those who didn’t come home?
I think of Band of Brothers, where Major Winters recalls his grandson asking, "Were you a hero in the war, Grandpa?" and he replies, "No, but I served in a company of heroes." Stories like these move us, they teach us, but they’re still just representations, not realities. I’ve been stirred by the quiet heroism shown in Hacksaw Ridge, where Desmond Doss prays, "Please, Lord, help me get one more," showing the endurance and selflessness of service, but not the weight he carried.
As a football coach, I often use war terminology to motivate and teach the game—phrases like “going to battle” or “holding the line.” The analogy works, and it stirs players to give their best. But too often, I don’t take the time to realize how far short the comparison falls. Our games are tough, yes, but they’re still games. They’re not life and death, and they don’t bear the weight of service, duty, and sacrifice that real battles do.
Songs, too, resonate with me, like Toby Keith’s American Soldier, where he sings, "And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price," capturing the sense of duty that so many veterans know firsthand. Or his powerful anthem Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue, reminding us that “justice will be served, and the battle will rage.” These songs can make us feel pride and gratitude, but they don’t fill the gap in understanding the struggles that continue long after soldiers leave the battlefield.
The truth is, for those of us who haven’t served, it’s easy to feel gratitude on days like today, but just as easy to let that feeling fade as we go about our lives. We experience only a fraction of what service members have gone through. I haven’t known the intensity of combat, the sacrifices of family separation, or the losses that leave marks that don’t fade. And for that gap in my understanding, forgive me. I don’t want to forget; I want to honor the strength, commitment, and sacrifices that veterans carry every day. I truly don't know the depth of pain or pride that resonates among Gold Star families.
So today, as I think of the veterans among us, I want to make a deeper, more meaningful tribute—a commitment to try to understand what service has meant to them, to listen without judgment, and to offer support that respects the weight of their experiences. I may not fully understand, but I can offer compassion, respect, and ongoing support. This is how we can honor those who have given so much. And, I hope, it’s a start toward truly expressing the gratitude that our veterans deserve every day.
Finally, the American ideals that have been purchased by these sacrifices- the yearning for liberty, the strength of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights... I pray I relentlessly defend the American experiment. I want ALL speech protected and we must be a nation of laws and democratic process. This Republic MUST hold true to our foundational ideals, without exception, including "of the people, by the people, and for the people".
So as we enjoy another blessing given to us by men who purchased freedom in blood and sacrifice- a day off and a long weekend- may we admit that we don't really understand and ask God to forgive us for that reality as we ask our brave men and women to do the same.... please forgive me.
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