OUR VIEW: To All Our Vets Today - Thank You For Your Service and Sacrifice! Happy Veterans Day!

We are not a perfect nation but we are not a nation deserving of the disrespect most are giving America right now.

What shines through are the countless men and women who have served their nation admirably and without reservation through countless conflicts that has seen America always rise to the occasion.

Our view is simply this. We don't know all of you by name or face that we write about today. But we OWE you all a debt that will never be paid back.

It was said recently that a veteran is someone who at one point in their life wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their life. This is honor.

And this is why we stand for the national anthem and respect our nation even when we feel our nation may not be treating us fairly.

Honor is a more than a word. It's what we have today honoring our veterans on this Veterans Day 2017. May God continue to bless this great nation of America.

Happy Veterans Day and again to all our vets - THANK YOU! even though thanks may not ever be enough to express our gratitude.

We asked our Facebook friends to post their pictures of their vets and families. This is the response we got:

My brother, Jason Tarin, serves as a Captain in the Army. Growing up, he sort of sat in the athletic shadow of his two older brothers (including myself). He tried many different things in order to find his niche in life and to make a name for himself, but it wasn’t until he began the ROTC program at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL that he was finally able to do just that. He graduated as a commissioned officer and was sent off the basic training. Through years of hard work and personal sacrifice, he has risen to the rank of Captain and now commands his own unit, which is currently deployed to the DMZ in Seoul, South Korea. I cannot begin to explain how very proud I am of my baby brother for his sacrifice and willingness to serve our country so that we can continue to live in freedom. He is a hero, we all love him very much! Happy Veteran’s Day, Captain Tarin




The Great Smoky Mountain Journal Staff Reports Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:22 PM

OUR VIEW: To All Our Vets Today - Thank You For Your Service and Sacrifice! Happy Veterans Day!
On this Veterans Day 2017 our view is simple and short. Thank you veterans for ALL your service and what you have done through the years to keep this nation safe! We cannot express to you enough our thanks for the sacrifice and cost to your lives and families to make America one of the safest and greatest nations on the face of the Earth. We are not a perfect nation but we are not a nation deserving of the disrespect most are giving America right now. What shines through are the countless men and women who have served their nation admirably and without reservation through countless conflicts that has seen America always rise to the occasion. Our view is simply this. We don't know all of you by name or face that we write about today. But we OWE you all a debt that will never be paid back. It was said recently that a veteran is someone who at one point in their life wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their life. This is honor. And this is why we stand for the national anthem and respect our nation even when we feel our nation may not be treating us fairly. Honor is a more than a word. It's what we have today honoring our veterans on this Veterans Day 2017. May God continue to bless this great nation of America. Happy Veterans Day and again to all our vets - THANK YOU! even though thanks may not ever be enough to express our gratitude. We asked our Facebook friends to post their pictures of their vets and families. This is the response we got: My brother, Jason Tarin, serves as a Captain in the Army. Growing up, he sort of sat in the athletic shadow of his two older brothers (including myself). He tried many different things in order to find his niche in life and to make a name for himself, but it wasn’t until he began the ROTC program at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL that he was finally able to do just that. He graduated as a commissioned officer and was sent off the basic training. Through years of hard work and personal sacrifice, he has risen to the rank of Captain and now commands his own unit, which is currently deployed to the DMZ in Seoul, South Korea. I cannot begin to explain how very proud I am of my baby brother for his sacrifice and willingness to serve our country so that we can continue to live in freedom. He is a hero, we all love him very much! Happy Veteran’s Day, Captain Tarin Christopher McDonald Christopher McDonald Love ya pops!!! Manage Denise Childs Shout out to my dad, William "Buddy" Childs, Vietnam Vet, and my grandaddy, William "Billie" Childs, World War II Vet Remove Denise Childs Grandaddy Billie Childs	Christopher McDonald, Publisher, Editor in Charge Great Smoky Mountain Journal Subscribe To The Great Smoky Mountain News Network Tube Channel