There is a very old children’s book called “Caps for Sale.” It is a folk tale about a peddler who travels the countryside with a stack of hats on his head calling “Caps for sale, Caps for sale, fifty cents.” While our peddler wears many hats for his job, in reality we usually wear just one. Metaphorically we wear many, but for today I want to talk about just one, your military service cap.
Your cap is more than just something to cover your head. It is a snapshot of your life. It is a conversation starter, a badge of honor, a selfie that quietly says, “I SERVED.”
Many of us have to go to appointments at Hines or the Aurora Outpatient Clinic. While I am sitting there, I have become a people watcher. I see the WWII and Korea Veterans grizzled and gnarled, proudly wearing their caps, while being pushed to their appointments in a wheel chair by their care partners.
I see the Vietnam Veterans going here and there in their walkers. It shocks me when I realize that most of us are in our 70s now. Where did the time go? When we pass each other in the hallways we always say “Welcome Home, Brother, what years were you there?”
In our own way we are trying to forget the hurt we felt when we came home.
I see the Desert Storm, Iraqi and Afghanistan Veterans coming into the facilities walking just a little faster than the older Veterans. I see the prosthetics and white canes that the Iraqi and Afghanistan Veterans are using because they were injured from an IED. Some show the visible ravages of war, but many have hidden injuries.
Just about every Veteran I see there is proudly wearing their cap. The caps may be faded and worn or new and bright. No matter, your cap tells us about you, your unit, your ship or your war.
YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR CAP COST!
To all of you who wear your cap proudly, I tip mine to you.
