I posted this on my MySpace page earlier today, but I thought I'd add it here as well.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, so I thought I'd take a minute to share some thoughts about the men and women who serve our country Military.  The first thing I have to say is directly to our Armed Forces:

THANK YOU.

Every once in awhile, I get the opportunity to play for the veterans at the Hollidaysburg Veteran's Home.  My friend Cory works there in activities, and he arranges mini-gigs for me.  I jump at the chance to play for these guys.  There's nothing I've done in my life that even compares to what they've gone through, and playing for them and giving them an hour or so of entertainment is one way to give back to them. 

I've had the opportunity to play along with a few of the guys at the home...one night back in February, we had a little impromptu jam session, and it was awesome.  We played "House of the Rising Sun," "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," and a handful of others.  Some of the guys who were passing by stopped in to hear the small group of us playing.  I could have jammed with them all night.

A few years ago, when I was running an afterschool program, our kids did a Memorial Day Presentation at the Veteran's Hospital in Altoona.  They sang patriotic songs, each holding their small American Flags.  After the kids sang, we headed down to the "Wall that Heals," a replica of the Vietnam Wall that's in D.C.  The hospital was able to purchase through funds donated by the community, a travelling, soon to be retired, replica of the wall.  They made it a permanent fixture.  On this particular day, our students walked down to the wall, silently, and walked the length of the wall reading the names.  Some of them had heard of Vietnam, but didn't really know the scope of what had happened there.  The sheer volume of names gave them an idea. 

The most touching point in the day was when one of the kids asked if they could plant their flag in the gravel in honor of the veterans.  They were granted permission, and soon all the kids had placed their flag in front of the wall.  It was a very emotional thing to see.  They got it.  Kids between the ages of 6 and 13 got it.  Why can't we?