Honor our veterans today,

Especially those who were involved in the continuing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unless we have a soldier in the close family we tend to forget about the conflict these brave volunteers have endured. We go on, business as usual.

Yet when these fellows come back, their problems are not left behind. Mental illness and suicide are up, as is divorce.

The state of Texas is trying to help the situation by opening marital retreats to help get them back into our society. Time will tell how it is working out.

An editorial in today's Houston Chronicle (link) calls this the invisible war and that we should focus on the continuing sacrifices of these American military personnel.

"Memorial Day is a time to honor America's war dead, but it should also be an occasion to remember and reach out to the American veterans whose lives have been forever changed by their service." words of the Chronicle (ibid).

As an insight to this, although I was not involved in conflict, I sometimes have mixed emotions about my own military service. I served five years in the U.S. Army, two as a draftee and the following three by reenlisting.

I didn't mind giving five years to my country and I did learn electronics that I probably would not have done had I still been working in the watch factory in Lincoln.

I have to remember that a lot died or had bad troubles, nobody even shot at me nor did I have to shoot anyone.

But it was five years out of my life, five years in my early twenties when a lot are just plain enjoying the beginning of their adulthood.

One time, on Veterans Day, at work, our secretary e-mailed us guys who had been in the service a little 'thank you' note. That was touching, it was the only time I have been thanked for these five years of my life being spent in uniform.