I recently flew down to Atlanta to meet with Vic and Lisa Johnson and special members of their Champion’s Club.

On my trip to the airport, there was a serious accident and they closed the expressway. This caused me to arrive very late and I was the last person on the plane. My reserved seat was long gone so I was place two seats away from a 20 year old serviceman whose leave had ended and was returning to Afghanistan.

He was leaving his girlfriend in Ypsilanti, Michigan behind and was going to protect the freedom of our country. He spoke of how the President and media “spin” what was actually happening in the Middle East especially where he had been serving-Afghanistan. What he knew to be fact was not what his girlfriend and Mom and Dad heard back home. This was very confusing and unsettling to him. He told about how he had been wounded three times and carried some shrapnel they removed from him.

As I watched and visited with him, it was very disturbing to see him shiver and to listen to how cold he was on the plane. He told me that the typical day in Afghanistan had a high of 130 degrees !! Unbelievable !!! The coolest temperature he could remember during his tour was the high 80s and that was at night.

It’s a shame that this young man has to experience this environment, this life experience. He is a merely a pawn in world politics that none of us will ever understand.

The anniversary of 9-11. What a memory, what a shame. Never again !! God bless all that perished that infamous day and their families. God bless the serviceman on my flight and all servicemen and women throughout the world.

If you see a man or woman in uniform – thank them !! If you know someone or have a family member in the service-call them, write them as soon as you can.

God Bless America !!