What They Still Carry: A Veterans Day Note

I'm not a veteran. I've never worn the uniform, and I won't pretend to know what it asks of a person. But some of the people closest to me have served, and every Veterans Day I think about how little the rest of us really see of what they brought home.

The veterans I know don't talk much about the heavy stuff. They show up for their families, work hard, crack jokes and make it look easy. But the pack doesn't come off just because the deployment ends. Some of it gets lighter with time. Some of it they carry for good, quietly, so the rest of us don't have to.

Tim O'Brien wrote that soldiers carry more than gear. They also carry fear, grief and the weight of the people counting on them. I think about that every time one of my friends brushes off a question with a laugh.

So this Veterans Day, do something simple. If you know a veteran, don't just thank them for their service and move on. Ask how they're doing, and actually listen. Let them set something down, even for a minute.

To the veterans in my life, and to everyone who has served: I can't carry what you carried. But I see it, I'm grateful for it, and I'm proud to know you.

Thank you to all of our veterans. And God Bless the USA.

-Anthony