This war is hitting closer and closer. Today I received an email from the school with a list of all MSOE students that were called into active duty, encouraging fellow students to email notes of encouragement and support. I've always understood that people must go off to fight for battles to occur but this is the first war I've lived through that has involved men and women around me engaging other soldiers in intense ground combat. I can't even begin to imagine myself in that position. Even thought I don't know these people, I'm extremely proud of them for possessing the courage that allows them to do that.

The term "veteran" has consequently gained new meaning to me. I used to think of them as just old, (usually) poor people with disabilities because all the veterans I knew of were the ones I saw at the VA hospital. But now the distinction has gained a lot more respect to me. I sat beside a veteran on the bus today. (He was wearing a VA tag.) He wasn't in the best of shape: he hobbled onto the bus using a cane and he wore an old-fashioned hearing aid in his ear. If I had passed him on the street a month ago, I probably would have ignored him. Today, I wanted to thank him for his service to his country.