Military Honors with Honor and Glory
Honor and glory are two words very familiar to the United States armed forces. From the time cadets enter the academy, Officer Candidate School, or boot camp, they are reminded of military heroes of the past, such as George Washington, John Paul Jones, Robert E. Lee, and Douglas Macarthur, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Each of these men, in their service and commitment to America in times of war truly knew what honor and glory meant.
The United States Military attracts a wide range of people each year. Many who enlist are at their lowest point economically. Seeking to find honor and glory in their own lives, they throw off the shackles of poverty to excel and make a name for themselves as soldiers. For these, the military offers a fresh start, a new day, and a purpose. Honor and glory to them can also mean accepting the more disciplined life that the military brings with it. The thought of mom and dad being proud of them as they serve their country is likewise a profound part of honor and glory.
For others, part of honor and glory is the thought of seeing the world by being in the service. Living in places that they could never have afforded on their own, many in the service take comfort in the fact that they will one day be able to tell their grandchildren about Madrid, Paris, London, and many other exciting cities throughout the world. This will definitely bring them honor and glory.
It comes as no surprise that honor and glory have often been among the biggest motivators for military recruitment. Few who join the United States Military hope for a desk job. Nearly all hope to drive a tank, fly a Blackhawk helicopter, or sit in the command chair of a battleship. This is where honor and glory come in. For the prospect of this, many in the military will even lay down their lives, knowing that their country will receive honor and glory, even if they do not live to see it themselves.
This is also no doubt what motivates many who enlist through the grueling process of boot camp. As they are subjected to every condition imaginable, recruits take comfort in the possibility of honor and glory one day being theirs on the battlefield. It is this prospect that strengthens them through countless push-ups, hikes, obstacle courses, and drill sergeants shouting in their faces. Honor and glory, they say, will one day be theirs.
For many, the honor and glory of the United States Military also comes with getting a good education. Supported by the GI Bill, they can have the opportunity to achieve in ways that they could not have without a degree. Honor and glory, for them, will also mean the prospect of a fulfilling career either inside the military or out that might not have been possible without its help.
Everyone in the United States Military knows that they could be called upon to die for their country. If this must be the case, they also take honor and glory in the prospect of being buried at Arlington, or one of America’s other national cemeteries. Here, buried alongside the many others who gave their lives to serve America, they find true honor and glory. It may also be comforting for them to think that others, who are alive because of them, will always remember them and be grateful, down to the depths of their souls. It would be difficult, after such a death, for the departed’s family members not to feel that honor and glory themselves.
Some who later leave the military will also find honor and glory in a career of public service. Many Presidents, Senators, and Congressmen have also been a part of the military. In Washington, or in their state capitols, they have worked hard to continue to preserve the honor and glory of America. Here their military background will no doubt serve them well, by giving them a keener eye than most when it comes to the global impact of the decisions that they make.
Even since America’s founding, the words honor and glory have meant different things at different times. There is however a few things carried in those words that have never changed. Honor and glory has always meant the thought of proud parents, friends, and neighbors, proud of a cadet’s service. It has also meant the hope of a better and more exciting future, and an escape from the ordinary. Likewise, honor and glory, for members of the United States military, has always offered with it the hope that long after they are gone, they will be remembered for their hard work and sacrifice on the battlefield. These men fought bravely, and honor and glory is rightfully theirs.