Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day, and it’s celebration time. Let’s all show our appreciation for those serving our country.
On August 14, 1945, the cover of Life Magazine had a picture of a sailor kissing a nurse in the middle of Times Square in New York City. Although no one claimed to be, nor has Life Magazine ever identified, this couple, some sailors have claimed to be the man in the photo. It is still not known today who they were. In fact, on that day, every man and woman who came home from the war kissed someone. This couple was no exception: they were just lucky enough to have been captured by a camera lens.
The term “Kiss a Vet” may have started on that historic day, however, to date there is absolutely no information as to where this term originated or who coined the term. Although there is a photo on a website protesting the Iraqi war in which a placard states: “Got Freedom – Kiss a Vet”, this is the only reference found on the Internet as well as any library in the free world.
This term, while consisting of only three words, speaks volumes to veterans who want to know they are appreciated for all they have done and continue to do to keep our country safe. These brave men and women deserve our thanks and a fervent prayer for them, their families, and friends. In addition, our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as all of our armed forces stationed overseas need to know we care, we appreciate what they are doing on our behalf, and we pray they will come home safely.
Thinking back to the Vietnam era, our war heroes suffered a terrible blow when they returned to our shores. Because the Vietnam war was an unpopular one, our men and women were virtually ignored upon their return. There were no parades, no thank you, and all the pain they had to forego has never fully dissipated.
The next time you see a veteran, give the serviceman or servicewoman a big hug and a kiss. No words need to be spoken: they will understand your sentiments fully and completely. Perhaps if we had shown our love and appreciation for our Vietnam veterans, they would be much better off today.
