Welcome Home
He watched the ceremony from the trees that hid him. He never missed a ceremony that took place in this area. Whenever he read the morning newspaper, he always looked to see when the next one would be. He read about this one a week before and made sure to have a reason for leaving the lair so that he could make it to the ceremony. So here he was, sitting quietly on a tree branch so that he could here every word that was being honored today. Even from this distance he could see the faces of the people that came today. Some of them were smiling as they heard the stories about how brave the man was. Other times he could see the faces of the ones who wept as they remembered the sad truth of the brave man being honored. After the speaker was done talking, a man dressed in full military uniform walked over to another group of men all dressed in military uniform and carrying M-16 rifles. Then the order was given and the 21 gun salute was given. After the salute the hardest part came as the song "Taps" was played. The turtle could feel his own tears starting to form as the sad song was played and everyone listening was crying. The turtle wiped the tears from his eyes and continued to watch.
Later that night the turtle returned to the site of the ceremony. He waited till the night so that he was sure that everyone had gone and he could pay his own respects. The turtle walked up to the gravesite and looked at the Rifle with the pair of boots holding it up and the helmet resting on top of the end of the rifle. He turned his head and fought the tears that were once again fighting to come out. After a moment he turned back and looked at the name on the grave and sighed.
"My name is Leonardo, I came here to tell you thank you. You made the greatest sacrifice a person could make and you made that sacrifice for people you don't even know. My brothers often complain about not get a thank you from the people that we save when we go out at night. We try to help the people in need and try to keep the city a little safer. I, myself used to think like my brothers. I used to think that no one ever really cared about what we did for the city. That we would never get a thank you for protecting people. Then one day, I was doing a morning run and came across a funeral service for a fallen soldier. The preacher said that the soldier died for everyone in America. that he made the ultimate sacrifice to protect all Americans."
Leonardo took a deep breath and continued, "He was right. I thought that I no one cared about what me and my brothers did but then I realized that you cared. Even though you did not know me or my brothers you still went to another country to fight for me and never once did you ask for a thank you. My friends call me and my brothers heroes because we try to save people in the city and keep the city safe. But to me, you guys, the soldiers, you are the real heroes. You all go wherever you are sent and fight and die for people you don't even know and never ask for anything in return. You are heroes because you will fight for those who hate you and protest against you, just like the family in Kansas, you know the Phelps family and the hate group called Westboro Baptist Church. You know they hate you but you still fight for their right to hate you. That makes you true heroes. Thank you for fighting to defend me and my family. Thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice to protect America, my home, my family's home, your home."
Leonardo laid down a small metal turtle that he had found in the sewers on the grave and then took a step back and bowed and turn to leave. After about five steps and stopped and turned back to the grave and spoke,
"O, I almost forgot, welcome home"
THE END
Have you thanked a soldier today? They fight for your right to be free and never complain or ask for anything in return. To all the troops out there, THANK YOU, YOU MAKE US ALL PROUD!
By the way the Phelps family and Westboro Baptist church are people. These poor excuse for Americans protest soldiers, they go to the funeral services of fallen soldiers and picket them. They are the most hated family in America. So if u ever see them talking trash about the troops, standup for the fallen.