Dear Americans,

Growing up as the daughter of a disabled United States Air Force veteran who served during Vietnam has been pretty awesome. It mean, I got to listen to cool stories of places far away that my dad had visited, some of them I didn't even know existed. I got to learn so much about how cool my dad really was, back in the day. (Just kidding. My dad is still one of the coolest people I know.) While I wasn't alive while he was in service, I've had the privilege of being his daughter for the past nineteen years.

The way the veterans were treated forty-one years ago when they came back from Vietnam still infuriates me to this day. It wasn't even recognized as a real war until 1979. They were spat on, they were called "baby killers," and they had garbage thrown at them. Is that how those who put their lives on the line for our country should've been treated? Absolutely not. It's disrespectful and just hateful to treat someone who just spent months or even years away from their families, and put their lives on the line for this country, and the civilians had no respect for it.

First of all, having a disabled father is hard. My dad worked on the plane engines during Vietnam. This caused him to lose most of his hearing. He has hearing aids and you have to talk louder in order for him to understand you. I used to get embarrassed in public when people would stare at me when I had to speak a lot louder, but then I realized my dad couldn't help it. He lost his hearing working on planes in combat zones defending my freedom to be able to talk loud to him in the grocery store.

My dad gave up college to serve this great nation during Vietnam. He went a year at Auburn and then the draft came. Knowing he would probably be drafted, he went ahead and quit school to go serve. He didn't run away from it like some did. He didn't wait until he had to go. Hearing this story actually taught me about bravery and sacrifice. Sometimes you have to give up your wants in order to serve someone else. It also taught me not to run when there's a problem.

Having a disabled veteran as a father has instilled one thing in me that I plan to instill into my kids: patriotism. I was raised wearing red, white, and blue and flying an American flag proudly. I was taught at an early age to love my country and to honor those who put their lives on the line for my country. I was taught to honor those who lost their lives, and who are still serving. I was taught that voting is one of the most important ways I can support my country. If you have the wonderful opportunity to know my dad personally, you know what a sweet and gentle man he is. The love that he has for his wife and his children is so strong, but his love of God and his country is even stronger.

Having a disabled veteran dad is hard. It's yelling in a grocery store because he can't hear. It's spending countless hours in hospitals while he lays on an operating table for another surgery he needs due to health complications caused by Agent Orange. It also him walking into a store wearing a hat that was similar to one he wore during service covered in pins that are tiny replicas of the medals he earned and hearing people thank him for what he did. It's seeing young children look at him and smile because they like his cool hat. It's seeing teenagers, especially males, shake my dad's hand and tell him thank you and they hope to be like him someday. My dad is the best person I know, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. Thank you, dad, and all other veterans who served, and thank you to all those who are still serving. God bless each one of you and your families.

Love,

The daughter of a disabled veteran