To the brave ones,

I know not,                                                                                                            

The shaved head,

The uniform,

The goodbyes & the Hellos.

I know not,

The long days,

The sleepless nights,

The hunger & the pain.

I know not,

The endless running,

The thousands of push-ups,

The blood, sweat, and tears.

I know not,

The doubt of your abilities,

The deniability of the impossible,

The option to quit & the mental fortitude to say “Hell No”.

I know not,

The months of brutal training,

The making of a man,

The deserved & awaited day of Graduation.

I know not,

The deep, dark ocean,

The frigid mountains,

The humid jungles & the arid deserts.

I know not,

The explosions,

The gunfire,

The first kill & the last.

I know not,

The brotherhood,

The teamwork,

The satisfaction of success & the pain of failure.

I know not,

The love for a brother,

The hatred of an enemy,

The loss of a friend & the hollow anger that follows.

I know not,

The disapproval from your own people,

The names like “baby killer”, “murderer”,

The ones you protect that hate you & the question of “is this what I’m fighting for?”.

I know not,

The stress on a family,

The sacrifices they make,

The tears of joy & the tears of sorrow.

I do know,

the freedom of speech & religion,

the right to bear arms,

that I can sleep safely at night,

And because of this, Thank-you.