For those of us who watched TV on that dreadful morning of September 11, 2001, we will ever forget the horror as jets plowed into buildings full of people at work. Terror struck hard and was responded to immediately by great men and women who were serving their community. That day, a certain degree of measure was added to the honor and appreciation our country feels for the men and women who so heroically serve our nation.
A country watched all day in horror as police and firefighters responded to the danger without hesitation, as they do every day within the communities they serve all across the nation. I feel so fortunate to live in this beautiful area and it is sheer pleasure to honor the officials and officers who watch over our close knit communities. We are protected by city and volunteer firefighters, city police, California Highway Patrol and local sheriff’s offices. We are further protected by the California Department of Forestry and the US Forest Service. Our nation is protected by many local residents who have pledged to serve in the armed forces. To all of these, we extend our thanks.
For those of us who have experienced a fire camp in our own little town, filled with hundreds of men and women put there to protect our forests and our very towns from disaster, our appreciation deepens.
For any who have experienced the pain and loss of a loved one due to an auto accident, you may also know how it adds to one’s degree of respect for the men and women who patrol our highways.
For any more whose families have been affected by other means of pain or violence, there are always those in uniform who have been there to not only do their job, but to lend compassion as they bring peace and security to a situation. In those instances, a deeper sense of thankfulness becomes known.
For any others whose loved ones work in the defense of our country, at home or on foreign soil, you know the pride and honor associated and shared by your communities, a degree of honor which also grows for the people who know you.
We are a small community who tends to know our local heroes personally. I hope you will join us in somehow paying tribute to these local heroes as it is with great appreciation and honor that WE SALUTE THEM ALL.
