Until they all come home...

from the Local 215 store...

A few weeks ago, on a Friday, I pulled out my red shirt, just because.  I think this was the same day my hubby went through both of his at work... Anyway, I thought about how cool it would be to get a few shirts from other departments, seeing as fire shirts have become my casual wear.  So, I posted it in one of my wives groups and, aside from a relatively local wife (whose hubby's department did not participate) most of the women had no clue what I was talking about.  And it made me a bit sad.  Not because I wasn't going to add MORE shirts to my ready to explode t-shirt drawer, but because it is something so simple that helps us remember that not everyone is home yet.  

I remember in high school, when we first invaded Iraq, there were yellow ribbons and support our troops signs everywhere.  I still have my Milwaukee High School of the Arts Supports Our Troops - Operation Desert Storm shirt around here somewhere. Families proudly displayed their starred banners.  After 9/11, and Operation Enduring Freedom, there was a resurgence.  And now...

Now, maybe it is too harsh to say we have forgotten, because we are no where near as bad as we were with the conflicts/police actions of the mid 20th century, but we clearly have lost a touch of our reverence and acknowledgement for the sacrifices of our troops.  Maybe we are just over it because we have spent most of the last 20 years fighting off evil and our attention span doesn't cover that period of time. Perhaps it is just my perception and I am totally off base.  I don't know. All I know is that me even bringing this up is itself a travesty of what is deserved.   

My FF at 6's a few weeks ago.

I was pleased, an a touch surprised, to see most people stand for our vets during our neighborhood 4th of July Parade, but why wasn't everyone standing.  Where are the Operation Comfort Drives?  Why have they gone away?  Why aren't we pushing the "To Any US Service Personnel" letter drives?  Have we forgotten that not everyone has come home.  That mommies and daddies have missed out on first steps and graduations.  That limbs and lives have been lost.  That souls need help finding their way to the surface.  Have we  really forgotten...or just let it slip, perhaps?

To some degree, I have been just as guilty of this.  We have had a flag out everyday since 9/11...until last summer when we moved back to the city.  Our brick house did not really allow for mounting a flag bracket...and I let it go.  10 years ago, I would have had my own personal MacGyver take care of it on day 1.  And I didn't.  Finally had him help me think of something earlier this month.  Our porch light is on 24/7, so that I don't forget to turn it on.  We just can't swing a spotlight, yet.  But it is on my list of necessities.

We have all let it slip to the back of our minds.  Perhaps it is time to bring it back to the forefront.  Be the sand in the clamshell.  Produce that pearl.  Go through your ladies auxiliaries or straight to the chief.  Maybe an editorial to your newspaper.  Find a way to bring red shirt Fridays to your departments. We are all buying t-shirts for this cause or that.  Why not for the lives that have been put on hold for us?  Is that not a worthy cause for our $12 or $15?  Or, at the very least, wear red on Fridays, just to say we remember... 

Until every one comes home... 

PS - I am not done with this crusade.  :)  Send me your FF's Red Shirt Friday pics at mfd dot wife dot trina at gmail.com. Happy Friday!