Here in the United States when we hear the term “veteran” we most often think about the men who have served our country. But during this modern age, those men represent only half the story. The rest of the story is illustrated by the brave women who also serve.
All too often their participation in our military is minimized and even ignored. These women make–and have made–a vital contribution throughout all levels and all branches of our armed services. That’s why, this past week I was disturbed to read about the harassment faced by a specific female veteran.
This young woman had parked her car in a space designated for veterans. When she came out of the store, she found a hateful note taped to her vehicle.
The person who’d penned it had accused her of usurping an honor reserved for a former soldier by parking in a space designated for veterans.
Tears pricked my eyes as I thought of what this veteran must have felt. Then anger on her bhalf replaced the tears. During my years as a Blue Star Mother, I’ve sat with many other moms as we prayed for our sons and daughters who were away at war.
We didn’t differentiate between their gender. All of these servicemen and women deserve our respect, our prayers and our thanks.
These female members of our armed services face the same dangers as their male counterparts. They leave behind families and friends, putting their lives on the line to protect our freedom and our country. They endure hardship, injury, loneliness, everything our male soldiers face.
As a nation, we’ve got to become better at speaking out on their behalf. We cannot allow this kind of ignorance to go unchecked. We must make sure their sacrifice is deemed worthy of the same honor as any man’s
So join me today by sharing this image honoring the women who serve.
