Proud of our military

Our nephew, who has volunteered for military service, visited my wife and me during the holidays. He completed boot camp and has made a six-year commitment.

Although on furlough, he is required to wear a camouflage uniform when traveling.

On his flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, Delta Airlines gave him a free upgrade. Passengers applauded as he left the plane.

On his last day with us, we took him out for breakfast. As we approached the cashier, a gentleman thanked him for his service and insisted on paying the entire bill. He said he just wanted to do something. My nephew told us later that he again received a free upgrade on the flight home, and at least 10 passengers thanked him for his service.

I was extremely gratified by these expressions of patriotism and appreciation toward our nephew. And it tells me one thing: America knows we are at war and genuinely appreciates the sacrifices made by the men and women who are doing the heavy lifting. My nephew has postponed his planned career in economics and is being trained to repair Black Hawk helicopters. He has no idea where that will take him.

I think the man on the street knows what’s really happening. They will not be diverted by politically motivated false issues such as whether we really have a Middle East strategy, whether our strategy is tough enough or whether we will fail unless we send in ground troops.

Don’t ask a politician. He’s dealing from self interest. Ask my nephew.

This story was originally published January 3, 2016 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Proud of our military."