Dear editor:

What does it mean to carry the title of “veteran?” It means leaving your home and your family. It means physical and mental training. It means hardship and sacrifice. It means saying good-bye to friends you will never see again.

It means going overseas and seeing impoverished people you cannot help. It means spit and polish. It means inspections and protocol. It means dirt and grime, heat and rain and cold. It means exhaustion and sorrow for comrades wounded and killed. It means not being able to remember their names.

It means less than 1 percen...

Log-In to view full story or view our Registration Guide.