Living the life of an American Armed Serviceman can be a daunting task at the best of times. Some civilians that have never experienced say it’s just like having a job. Yes, if your job is defending the freedom of 319 billion people on a daily basis. Yes, if your job is to walk into enemy fire for the sake of your employer. Yes, if your job is to be prepared at any given moment to make the ultimate sacrifice for your country.
Not to say that there are not dangerous jobs (police, Fire, etc.), but being a part of the Armed Services is something that the men and women who are part of it, or retired from it, can truly understand as a life-on-the-line kind of employment. I equate these brave men and women with the Saint Crispian’s Day Speech from Shakespeare (Which I have included at the bottom)
Returning home from the Armed Services can be a jarring change. You’re taken from a series of regimented tasks and plans to the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced American lifestyle. Sometimes you can equate this to a freeway: Everyone’s going as fast as they can and you’re trying to get up the ramp to merge in to the flow. The problem is that there’s a car in front of you the keeps creeping forward, inch by inch,their gas tank flap is open and their seat belt is hanging out door and buckle is scraping the asphalt. The point is, you can’t get past them to get on with your life. You’re an military veteran and you’ve earned that right!
Now it’s time to learn about how your benefits can work for you. Throughout the site we have posted many things that can help you in your post military life. If you are a veteran and know of something that might help other vets, please let us know! We’ve tried to organize everything in an easy-to-find manner, but sometimes it might be difficult. Please let us know if we can help you find something or how we can help you with your issues.
And here is the Saint Crispian’s Day Speech:
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
