COLUMN: Never forget those who fought for you

This week’s column is going to be just slightly different than the usual sports columns I have written in the past.
Instead of going back and attempting to somehow tie my personal experiences from my playing and coaching days or even now as a sports journalist, I’m going to take an approach that holds twice as much meaning to me than sports does.
Our military.
This column is one that is going to allow me the voice to proudly say thank you to our veterans of the armed forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
I am the son, nephew, grandson and great grandson of military veterans with a cousin preparing to enlist in the United States Air Force when he graduates high school.
So needless to say, the U.S. military runs deep in my bloodlines.
Having the highest level of respect for the country is one that isn’t nurtured, but accepted at birth.
We are taught at a young age what dedication and honor looks likes.
Growing up on an air base, you’re accustomed to a lifestyle that is eerie and yet extremely eye-opening.
From hearing “To the colors” at 7 a.m. every morning to “Taps” sounding over the bases intercom system at 10 p.m. every night with the national anthem being broadcasted at 4:30 p.m. in between, you quickly understand the level of respect needed for the symbol of our country’s freedom.
In fact, if you were to ask me what I was going to be when I grow up when I was younger, it wasn’t the answer people may now easily peg me to give.
Truth be told, I wanted to join the Army with the hopes of becoming a member of the Rangers, one of the more premier Special Forces squadrons in the military. However, as I continued to develop both physically and athletically, I shifted to wanting to play professional football. And despite being only 26, I can say that it will be one of the biggest regrets of my life.
While I understood how to honor the flag at a very young age, it wasn’t until I was probably 6 or 7 years old that I truly understood why we did it. And not to be too cliché, it’s for those who gave everything, to allow me to do what I love to do in the country that I love living in.
According to the Department of Defense and the Department of Veteran Affairs, 1,196,554 men and women died during U.S. wartimes. Hundreds, if not thousands, are those who had some sort of athletic future, whether it was playing in college or even spending a few years professionally before being called for duty.
In fact, there are been numerous pro athletes who had their careers cut short to serve in the military, either as an enlisted man or due to the draft.
There’s one that always stands out to me.
Pat Tillman.

(AP Photo/Photography Plus) 
Now, I’m sure that most of you know his story, an All-Pro safety for the Arizona Cardinals who turned Army Ranger just after the 2001 NFL season. In fact, he turned about nearly $3.6 million to enlist in the military.
After being apart of numerous missions, to include the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch in 2003, Tillman died from friendly fire in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
He was the first professional football player to be killed in action since Bob Kalsu, an offensive guard for the Buffalo Bills who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in 1970.
A world dominated by money and greed, and yet here's a man who is pretty well set financially, opts to become a soldier. That’s a hero in every sense of the word. I mean think about that for a second. A man who is seeing the NFL dream – a dream that started as an undersized 7th round pick in 1998 -  that thousands of Americans boys dream as a child unfold and in the blink of the eye, turns down a contract extension to join the country’s fight against terror.
To quote a recent interview Tillman gave shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, “My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has gone and fight in wars, and I have really done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that. So I have a great deal of respect for those who have and what the flag stands for.”
Now, I am not attempting by any stretch to make Tillman sound like more of a hero than others.
To be frank, my point of view is that any man or woman who is willing to fight for my freedom is a hero. With how previlant social media has become in your lives this age, we often voice our frustration of the atrocities that are filled in the world. Some of which, happen on our own soil. These brave men and women decided that they wanted to be part of the solution to ridding the world of terror. Again, that is a hero in every sense of the word. There is no greater priviledge as a civilian than to know that we get to live under the colors of this country knowing that those willing to do everything to protect it. 
So, while you get to sleep in a warm, cozy home with your husband or wife. Your girlfriend or boyfriend with your kids or pets in the other room here in the states, there are thousands of brave men and women picking up a rifle and taking watch. Others are executing night raids on enemy installations and safe houses under the blackness of night.
Some manage to step back on American soil with their own feet.
Others are carried in a casket with the colors they died to defend and protect covering them.
That’s what this weekend in about.
It’s not about the barbecue’s, the parties or the family outing, it’s about remembering the brave men and women who put their lives on hold to protect this country against all of the world’s threats so that we may live a life of freedom.
Remember that as you partake in the Memorial Day festivites.