Veterans' Day events honor all contributions

I want to thank those associated with the Sandpoint High School for the beautiful Veteran's Day service conducted on Nov. 8. The annual program is open to the public and a credit to the community. Suggesting that all wars have an equal moral cause or the contribution of all veterans is equal would be nonsense but the objective of the high school was to treat all veterans with equal dignity. The goal was appreciated.

It is an honor to be in the presence of the older World War II vets and I would never suggest that my cause or contribution compared with theirs. People often wonder how a person with my profile who does not associate the need to be constantly fighting with patriotism and is anti-war, and anti-military, became an active veteran? The military was good to me and I am grateful. I am an alumnus of the Army. I went into the service at a difficult crossroads in life and found direction.

A beautiful girl fell in love with my uniform and is still my wife. Training received in the Army lead to my career. After my duty, the GI bill for education resulted in an advance degree from the University of Michigan contributing to my success. The end result is I am enjoying a comfortable retirement in Sandpoint.

I am grateful to all the organizations that contributed to who I am today. The military offers a lot of rewards. For the young people who are considering this option, I hope it works out for you as well as it did for me. I certainly would not suggest anyone join the service for patriotic reasons.

If a young person is truly interested in expressing their patriotism, be a good citizen. Choose a career that will make this a better country because you are part of it. Volunteer to work for organizations dedicated to improving your community. Participate in the political scene and try to provide a balance of power democracy where every one is represented and included. Flag waving is not patriotic. It is just cheerleading.

HARVEY PINE

Sandpoint