Not everyone had Thanksgiving dinner at home with Family

~ Live & Learn

military-thanksgiving-service

Photo: U.S. military personnel wait in line for Thanksgiving dinner at a coalition air base in Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq. (Felipe Dana / AP / wsj.com)

20 thoughts on “Not everyone had Thanksgiving dinner at home with Family”

  4. I am well aware of this kind of photo. My nephew just returned from his sixth deployment and his final one we pray. He knows no other way of life any more after serving over twenty years serving our country of all of us, along with all the men and women who sacrifice service for freedom. When he was in Iraq I wrote a poem/prose for him. When he received he FB me and thanked me and advised me that he copied it and posted it on their bulletin board for all to read. I was so proud to have made such a small contribution to let them all know how much we care. I am posting it below, perhaps all of those who follow your blog will enjoy it as well.

    FREEDOM
    They go by air and by sea to a foreign land
    The heat and the dust burns their skin
    They go not to fight but to lend a hand
    In their hearts they carry freedom on their shoulders
    They carry weapons in their eyes you can see honor
    They leave behind their wives, husbands, children, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters,
    Aunts, uncles, cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends, the safety of their home, their jobs, home
    cooked meals, holidays with their family and friends, seeing the birth of their children.
    They follow in the foot steps of their ancestors before them, many will not return, but
    they will persevere and in the end their honor and bravery, and the freedom they carry in
    their hearts will rise up. The ones that have gone before them and have not returned are
    there beside them shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart reminding them that freedom is not
    free. So this holiday season when you are celebrating with family and friends doing the
    things you are free to do, in your heart honor the men and women who have
    made that possible for you.

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  6. When I woke up Thanksgiving morning and walked into the living room I caught my husband crying, and maybe for the first time he did not hide it.
    The video he was watching is over 20 minutes. He is from Mosul- Iraq. We are here in chicago, all his family is there. Iraqi Arabs living in the heart of the city.
    The video was of the coalition troops, mostly Americans, going into an apartment complex building to free the people living there from ISIS members who occupied every empty apartment, used some for weapon storage, and put the civilians in service of them, cooking for them, making sure they are comfortable, and who know what other services they had to provide.

    The video was very violent. But as they went up the building, floor by floor, Iraqi families were coming out to say thank you. Old women were hugging them, offering tea and food, because, you know, hospitality, what would people say about them.
    There was one father carrying the body of his 2 year old daughter, running out to say thank you.

    My family is Thankful in countless ways.
    It is easy to forget what our troops gave up. Patricia’s poem is a powerful reminder.

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  7. We must never forget. I also remember all the women serving our country. We don’t see enough footage or press about them. All – men and women – are heroes.

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  9. Thanks for keeping the sacrifices of our brave men and women in the forefront. I agree with all the above comments and it’ s sad to see we as a country not doing more for our people who serve. We should be thankful and then some.

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  10. I learned long ago Thanksgiving is just another day. A special day, to be sure, but it’s a work day for so many. Nurses, soldiers, police and fire departments — bless them all for giving up the “traditional” day to take care of us. Hopefully all will be home soon to share their own day of thanks with their loved ones.

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