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On this Veterans Day, I can’t think of a better way to honor the men and women of our armed forces than by not mugging them at gunpoint. That’s exactly what happened in Milwaukee, WI at around 1:15 am yesterday morning. A 21-year old Army Reservist was pulled into an alley by four armed assailants, where he was pushed face-down on the ground, with a gun to his neck, and had his wallet, keys, cash and cell phone taken from him. When one of the robbers noticed the Military ID in the man’s wallet, he ordered the others to return the man’s items to him, thanked the man for his service, and even gave him a “fist bump” before leaving the scene (read the full story from TBO.com and the AP here).

This country has no greater resource than the men and women of our armed services. They volunteer to put their lives on the line so that the rest of us can enjoy the highest quality of life of any country in the world, as far as I’m concerned. This is a great little Veterans Day story about the soldier in Milwaukee, but it should also make us think about our own reverence for the troops. It’s unfortunate to think that some Americans don’t have the same respect for our Military men and women as a group of muggers did, but if your realizing that you’ve been one of those people, it’s not too late to do something about it. If you see one of our troops in the morning, buy him a cup of coffee. If you see one of our troops out at night, buy him a beer. If you don’t see any of our servicemen in your travels, send a card to a soldier/veteran in your area. Don’t let an opportunity to show your appreciation pass you buy, because when you are doing something you love, like spending time with your children, taking a vacation, enjoying the everyday luxuries of American life, or even writing a blog (in my case), your able to do it thanks to their protection over the last 200+ years. Until your willing to put your life on the line for the rest of us, you owe them a more than a card, a coffee, or a beer, but it’s a good start.

On a more humorous side-note to this story, the four muggers involved are thought to be responsible for two other incidents, all occuring in the same area within 40 minutes of each other. They appearantly mugged another man in the exact same manor as the Army Reservist, the only difference was that this time the man being mugged was a convicted burglar and had a Dept. of Corrections Inmate ID in his wallet, instead of a Military ID. When the robbers saw this ID, they just continued robbing him. How fitting.