Budweiser Freedom Reserve Commercial
I know this is a very old Budweiser commercial (circa 2018), but it still rings true today. I wish we could go back to a place in time when everyone cared about others instead of this crappy world we have now, where it’s all about me.
Just like the video, I sometimes feel embarrassed when someone tells me “Thank you for your service”, I don’t feel like there is anything to thank me for and I often struggle to say something in return. It is almost like a salute when I was on active duty. We saluted as a sign of respect, and that is what “Thank you for your service” is supposed to convey. And I know that is how most veterans feel. We love to have someone recognize that we served, but we would trade that recognition for a more peaceful world, where we all got along and for everyone to stop being so damn offended.
In the military, there is little room for being offended. Well, I guess you can be offended, but good luck crying about it. I’m not saying that you can’t complain, but you must go through the chain of command. I would love to say that this process works flawlessly, but we all know there are gaping holes where things seem to escape and wreak havoc on everything. It seems that much of our division in the world is based on gender and race. You quickly learn that the person next to you is just a darker or lighter green than you are. Or you learn that the female next to you, is just another Marine, another brother. You need to be able to rely on them to do their job to the best of their abilities. You need to know that they have you six (backside). You can’t just say that you refuse to work with someone, based on their gender or their race. We are all green in the Marine Corps, and there is something known as the chain of command.
There is certainly a brotherhood (and sisterhood) in the Corps, but there is also a brotherhood amongst all service members. We also all share the feeling that we haven’t done enough. That there is more that we should and can do.
For many of us, we are still looking at how we can do more for our community and for our country. That is where organizations like Folds of Honor come into play. Organizations like this are always looking for people to help fill their ranks, and that is where we come in. We can’t be on active duty any longer, but we can help those that are and their families.
It is difficult for us veterans to fill that gap and overcome that feeling of having to do more. And it is difficult for the civilian population to understand that feeling that we have.
