A year ago, I wrote an article about visiting my son, Frank Jr., at Ft. Hood, Texas, just before he was deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry. I shared my thoughts about a father's love for his son and the fears I had sending my son off to war. Last Sunday, I flew to Ft. Hood again, only this time I went down to welcome my son and his unit home from Iraq. As you can imagine, it was a joyous reunion.

While my prayers have been answered and Frank Jr. has returned safely from war, there are many other families that will not have a joyous homecoming celebration. Over 500 soldiers, men and women, made the ultimate sacrifice in this global war on terrorism, and thousands more are returning home with disabilities that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. And yet, while some of us celebrate homecomings, there are still thousands of soldiers serving in Iraq and elsewhere today, protecting our freedom and allowing us all to sleep safely at night.

Next time you see a veteran or active duty soldier, thank them for their service, thank them for their sacrifice, and thank them for being there for all Americans. When I left to head back home after visiting Frank Jr. this past week, I thanked him for his sacrifice. He smiled and said, "That's what we do, Dad... we're American soldiers!"

Frank J. Stalzer
N. Massapequa