Somewhere in my grandma’s closet or big trunk is an antique oval frame. 
The picture is of a handsome young man dressed in a World War I army uniform, complete with high leather boots and leggings and a Smokey-the-Bear hat.

Tucked under the man’s arm is a shiny brass bugle.  The man is my grandpa.  As a veteran of the “war to end all wars,” his service to his country left a lasting impression on me.

Although grandpa is dead now, I can remember his recollections.  He never talked much about the death and destruction he must have seen while he was in Europe.

More often he talked of the friendships he made with the other men that he met and camaraderie that they shared.  I remember him talking once about spending three nights in a troop ship waiting to cross the English Channel.  Enemy shelling was of heavy the ship was driven back.

 “I didn’t think we were ever going to get to France,” he recalled.

To Grandpa, his time in the Army was not easy, but it was memorable because he was proud to give service to his country.  In later years he became active in the American Legion post in our hometown of Mahnomen. 

One of his proudest accomplishments was that he was a musician in the Eighth District Legion Band.

Grandpa, like many other veterans, was a staunch patriot, who saluted the flag at the proper times and firmly believed in the United States and what it stood for.

To me, as a little boy, his patriotism seemed silly, but somehow it made me realize that there was more to being an American than being able to recite the pledge of allegiance or knowing when and how to salute the flag.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to interview another World War I veteran. Like my grandpa, he was proud that he had been able to serve his country in times of peril.  His memories of the hardships he endured had been softened by the years and he was able to share his memories with a touch of humor.

Grandpa was not what most would consider a hero.  As far as I know he was not a dashing flying ace or a man who rescued his buddies and held off the enemy single-handedly.   He did what his country asked of him, just like thousands of other soldiers.

Maybe that unquestioning response to his country’s call and his lingering patriotism is what t makes him more of a hero to me.

I only hope I can learn from his example that I don’t have to be embarrassed to be patriotic and that it is OK to proud to be a U.S. citizen.

I’m very grateful to my grandpa and other veterans who gave their time and, some, even their lives so that I can live in a free country.