The old man moved slowly over to his chair. As he started to sit down, his whole body shook. When he started to talk, the loud room became quiet. The whole family waited for him to tell his story. He told of a time when the world was dark. All he could hear was a soft tick, tick, tick. The only thing he could feel was the sweat rolling down his back. The question he kept asking himself was, "Is this the right thing to do?" As his story came to an end, the family sat on the edge of their seat wanting to know what would happen next. A lazy smile grew across his face as he said “If I told you, I would have to kill you." This is an account of how my grandpa would relate the story of the war to my family. He would tell just enough to know what he went through but not enough to know what he actually did. This was the moment when I realized how important veterans are to America.

Veterans are the life-blood of our country. Without them, Americans would not have the freedom we have today. Veterans have made it possible for us to live normal lives. Throughout history, veterans have fought so that we could be free. By doing this, they have set the standards for our country. They have shaped America into what it is today and will continue to shape it for generations to come; veterans are our past and will be our future.

The experience of each Veteran is different, but the bravery it took to overcome obstacles during the war is the same. My grandpa was in the Air Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was a nuclear arms expert. This meant that his job was to take care of U.S. nuclear bombs on airplanes. Being around dangerous equipment everyday was not an easy task. It took an incredible amount of bravery to trust that the bombs would not go off while they were in the air. During a war, everyone has their own “bomb” that they had to take care whether it was literal or figurative. My grandpa’s was literal and quite frightening, but that does not mean that any of the figurative bombs were any less frightening. The amount of bravery it took these men to overcome their “bombs” is outstanding. While fighting, these men saw things that they would never wish anyone to see and that they could never tell anyone about. As grandpa always said, “If I told you, I would have to kill you.”

The men who fought for and beside my grandpa are our nation’s history. They have fought for us and given us the freedoms that we have today. No matter how big or small the role of each Veteran was, they have made history by making an impact on the war in which they served. In America’s history, Veterans have been a symbol of safety, freedom, and bravery. They have kept America safe by protecting us against our enemies, given America freedom by standing up for what they believe in, and have shown bravery by looking in the face of death and saying, “Not today.” By doing this, they have shaped our nation and given us a country to be proud to live in.

Grandpa is not with us anymore, but he had an impact on my heart. Now, when our family gathers, I look around the room and see the generations that my grandpa’s story touched. He has impacted the lives of future generations in our family. Other Veterans have sat and told a similar story to their families and have impacted the future in this same way. By their character and commitment, Veterans have set the standard of how America’s future should be. They have given America an elite example of how to defend ourselves and keep each other safe. They have shown our nation how to achieve freedom and how to stay free. The future generations will look at the history that they have made and use it as their guide to keep our country the way it has always been. Without a strong history, there can be no strong future. Veterans have made a strong history for America. Now, it is the next generation’s job to make a strong future.