Generations of Valor

Caption: "Pearl Harbor surviver Houston James of Dallas embraced Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr. during a Veterans Day Commemoration in Dallas yesterday. Graunke lost a hand, a leg, and an eye when he defused a bomb in Iraq last year."

The emails have been pretty heavy this week leading up to Veterans Day. This picture will forever be in my mind. When it came across my screen, my heart was skipping a beat, and I just stared at it for awhile. A young Marine, once a whole man, now scarred both physically, and mentally from War. The sobbing embrace of a older Veteran, much wiser, that already knows the suffering to follow in his life. I am gritting my teeth so hard for two reasons, first, is why this happen to young Graunke, the other is to hold back my own tears. I wish him well......"Welcome home Soldier"

This song is only appropriate this week, and specific to this picture.

Breathless
Better Than Ezra
Here you are now
Fresh from your war
Back from the edge of time
And all that you were,
Stripped to the bone
I thought you? want to know

That when you feel the world is crashing
All around your feet
Come running headlong into my arms
Breathless
I'll never judge you
I can only love you
Come now running headlong
Into my arms
Breathless

Lay down your guns
Too weak to run
Nothing can harm you here
Your precious heart
Broken and scarred
Somehow you made it through
I only ask that you won't go again

When you feel the world is crashing
All around your feet
Come running headlong into my arms
Breathless
I'll never judge you
I can only love you
Come now running headlong
Into my arms
Breathless