Title: If You Can Read This, Thank a Vet

Author: grissomrocks

Rating: K

Genre: General

Disclaimer: Don't own anything related to CSI: NY. Just borrowing some characters to remind everyone to honor all veterans, not just during Veteran's Day (US)/Remembrance Day (UK), but every day.

Five-year-old Zoe Messer was sitting quietly at the dining table making pictures with her crayons and construction paper when she overheard her mommy and daddy talking in the living room.

"Tomorrow's Veteran's Day, Montana," Daddy said to Mommy. "I told Mac I'd come in early so he can go to the service. Least I can do, y'know?"

Mommy replied, "Okay. Zoe's off from school tomorrow, so I'll take her to your mother's before I come in."

Zoe was quite the curious child and wondered what this Vet-ran's Day was about. She walked into the living room and crawled into her daddy's lap.

Daddy kissed the top of her head. "Did ya hear that, Zoe? You get to spend almost all day with Nana tomorrow."

"Because it's Vet-ran's Day?"

"Vet-er-an's Day," Mommy sounded out for Zoe.

"What's a Vet-er-an?"

Daddy answered, "Well, a veteran is someone who used to be a soldier or a sailor, like Uncle Mac."

"What do sol-jures and say-lors do?"

This time Mommy answered. "Soldiers and sailors are like police officers, but they protect the entire country, not just the city, like Daddy and I do."

Typical five-year-old logic sprung up inside the little girl's head. If there was a special day for Vet-er-ans then, "Do we give presents to the vet-er-ans?"

Daddy started to say no, but Mommy smiled a big smile and said, "That's a wonderful idea, Zoe."

The next day, Zoe came to the Crime Lab with Mommy and Daddy. They knocked on Uncle Mac's door where he was pinning a red poppy onto his lapel. "Hey, Zoe."

Zoe walked right up to her uncle Mac and said, "I made you a card for Vet-er-an's Day, 'cause Mommy and Daddy said you were a vet-er-an and protected the country."

Uncle Mac took the construction paper card from the eager little girl. On the front was a stick figure soldier. Above the drawing, in Zoe's neat block print, was written, "UNCLE MAC."

Inside the card, in the same print, were just two words: THANK YOU.

The End