What is it like to be a veteran? Ask my grandfather. He’ll tell you the veteran is a young man preparing for war. It’s training to be a turret gunner in a TBM-1 torpedo bomber. It’s living in a ship and steaming across the world without knowing your mission. It’s bonding with your crew and then honoring your pilot by giving your children his name. It’s keeping a diary for your grandchildren to read 60 years later. It’s training for years and years to fly a single combat mission over the Philippines only to have your gun jam. It’s feeling an inexpressible relief when the war ends. What is like to be a veteran? Ask my father. He’ll tell you it’s about flying attack helicopters to support the infantry on the ground. It’s going to work before the sun is up in returning home long after it has set. It’s about making plans for your life and changing them at the drop of a hat. It’s about leading Marines and fighting for what is right. It’s about discipline, fitness, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to the principles that keep our country free.

via Jason B. Ladd | Fighter Faith