Where brave soldiers walk

Coming home yesterday I was on the shuttle from the train with a couple who ran in the Marine Corps marathon. The woman was standing and talking to her spouse and men kept trying to offer her a seat - with a sides way glance at her apparently able husband - until he finally said they had run the marathon and she had pulled a muscle and sitting was painful.  Nods all around.  

While I was checking my luggage, the Honor Flight escorts started leading a parade of men in wheelchairs, walkers, canes into the airport, some had family with them, some were alone with the escorts. I thought of the courage and determination it took for them to make the trip.  

Stopped for a bite to eat and to charge my phone and sat next to several tables of soldiers who had just landed on their way home. The young soldiers were laughing and eating and adding to their collection of empty beer bottles on their table.  The waitress was doing her best to mother them, checking on their flights, being slow to bring new drinks.  The young guys were the rowdiest - but not out of control.  Another table of older soldiers in civies - if all black UnderArmor counts as civies - were keeping an eye on the kids.  When in came the couple and sat down.  The kids were boasting of their service, and started doing the "double tap" boast of pride, when the Marathon Marine said something quietly to the tables and all of a sudden they all sat up straight.  All I heard was "Men be sure you make your flight". The kids pulled themselves together and paid their bill.  When along came, the call Hero's passing". And the escorts were pushing two wheelchairs with WW II veterans.  Everyone in the restaurant stood and clapped.

A young family who looked Middle Eastern were sitting in the back with their young children and one asked why were people clapping, and the father said because they were soldiers.  It made me think - how did all of the foreign travelers see what I saw.   I saw pride in our soldiers, waitresses playing Mom, people passing the tables saying thank you, gate agents asking active duty military personnel to board first, standing to honor the men who served in the last Great War.  Many of us aren't sure where we stand on our military actions, present or past, but I think deep,down many of us, as much as we wish there was another option, want to thank those who stand on that wall protecting us from enemies seen and unseen.