My Favorite Super Bowl Moment

I joined my friends in the lounge at our local Elk's Lodge to watch the game. We had a great assortment of game food. Our lodge is made up of locals and retirees. Quite often a majority of those present are vets. We have an unusual number of guys that have served the US Military and reached the highest enlisted ranks.

I often wonder what is going to be the highlight of the night. A multimillion dollar commercial or an extraordinary athletic feat. My greatest moment came early. During the National Anthem the screen showed a group of our troops standing at attention in a tent in Afghanistan.

As I write this I am having trouble seeing the screen. The thought of our troops standing during a televised National Anthem in a tent in a war zone has had a profound effect on me. When the image above flashed on the big screens at the game the crowd erupted. This was my favorite moment.

Much has been made of our nation's "greatest generation". My father was a member of that group being a decorated veteran of WWII and Korea. That group truly saved the world from a looming darkness.The guys that responded to the threats of WWII had a clear vision of what was at risk and believed that our nations survival was at risk. We had been attacked.  I am very appreciative of the groups that served in the Korean and Viet Nam wars. During the Korean and Viet Nam conflicts many young Americans were drafted. Their service was no less heroic.

Our current group of service men and women are all volunteers. They have chosen to serve when the threat to the homeland is more difficult to discern. In my business of selling real estate I have been privileged to serve many of these young people. I have been stunned by their sacrifices. Many have served multiple combat tours. Considering that we have been sending our young people to the Middle East since Desert Shield in 1990. Afghanistan saw our troops arrive in 2001. We invaded Iraq the second time in 2003. Our young people still pull tours in Japan, Korea and Germany. I have concluded that the current generation is "One Great Generation"

Their standing at attention for a televised National Anthem preceding the Super Bowl is an image that will stay with me. Their deep display of patriotism has become my favorite Superbowl memory of all time.