And this is right. They have done their duty so you can go to baseball games, so you can look into your wife's soft and friendly eyes, so you can enjoy the wind in your face while on a motorcycle in peaceful Ohio. Being with war tested veterans always makes you better. Life becomes sweeter because you are prodded into a recognition that there is human excellence, that there is room for virtue. You realize that there is a price for freedom and peace.
Veterans are the best teachers.
The crowds at the parade are generally quiet and respectful. But when old veterans in wheelchairs are pushed along by young and vibrant men spontaneous applause breaks out. It's picked up by all with enthusiasm as the men roll past. We give what little honor we can to those who deserve much more. They met grim visaged war by standing up to their full height, full of valor.