The other day I ran into and was able to talk for a few minutes with a friend I had not seen in quite some time. We exchanged pleasantries and caught up on what each other had been doing. During the conversation he told me how much he appreciates these articles that I write for The Daily World.

He said that: “They give me a perception of what it was like for the military. They give me a perspective on things that I would not get otherwise.”

Then he said something that really took me back. This is a good man of faith, with ethics and morals, so I know it was not said casually. He said: “I apologize, because I did not serve in the military.”

It took me a few seconds to organize my thoughts on that, but finally I said: “Don’t apologize. It takes a special personality to go into the military. Not everyone is cut out for it. The country also needs people to maintain the systems and processes that keep our country strong. We need people at home.”

He said: “Thank you Jim, that makes me feel better.”

That was not my intention.

I have been a lot of places in the world, and the simple fact is that this is the greatest country in the world. It is because the country is made up of many different people, different types of people, that have the freedom to do what they are good at or what they want to do. This country puts virtually no restrictions on what we can do or where we can go.

That is not true everywhere. I’ve been places where the government restricts travel and must pre-approve a trip even to the next town. I’ve been to places where the poverty is such that there is virtually no public education, and few families can afford to educate their children. Without education the young don’t have much choice, they must follow in the business, jobs, and fields of their family to survive. When all you can think about is what you will eat next, you can’t think about education or career change.

America has infrastructure and systems that we enjoy without thinking, and someone must maintain them. We need plumbers, electricians, engineers, architects, doctors, truck drivers, government officials, farmers, secretaries, pilots, salesmen, teachers, and mothers. And military. We need them all. But the military does little to contribute to the infrastructure that keeps America moving and makes our country great.

Not the military, but the people at home provide the power, water, roads, and buildings that are needed to support a modern civilization. A modern country.

They are what keep our country going, and growing, and flourishing in the global economy and global culture. The primarily military states of the world (North Korea, the USSR, Indonesia, pre-war Germany and Japan, China, among many others) have not historically been very successful or sustainable in the global economy and culture for very long.

What would there be to come home to, if it wasn’t for those at home making a living and keeping the country going and thriving? Where could we safely leave our families, our children, to be educated, supported, and cultivated while we are gone? How would our society grow and improve without those that build, grow, serve, and teach?

And armies fail without the supplies produced and generated by the people at home. Armies fail without political objectives and guidance. Armies need healthy, educated, talented, and motivated young people to fill their ranks.

The military, specifically the Marine Corps is not for everyone. But I loved it, and would do it again, even knowing what I know now. I would not change much in my life, certainly not the 22 years I spent in the Marine Corps.

So, please don’t apologize that you chose a different path than I did. I hope you are as satisfied with your life as I am with mine. You were and are important to the military and this country, the greatest on Earth.

Please Remember: Many of our young men and women have sacrificed greatly around the world, to protect our country, our rights and freedoms, our allies, and the Flag of the United States of America. I am proud to have been one of them, and would gladly defend this great country again today or any day.

Jim Daly, a retired captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, is a member of the Aberdeen Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 224, and its Veterans Service Officer. He is also a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America.