For all of those serving abroad. For all of those that serve here in the states. For those that have given the ultimate sacrifice so that I may have the freedom to post some words on a website on a regular basis. Today, we honor you. Today, we acknowledge all that you have done, will do, or are doing for the people of this country and of this world. Today, we take a break to say two very simple words, though they will never be enough.

Thank you.

The following story is fictional but is shared here for my love of the game and my respect for men and women in uniform.

Only two defining forces have ever died for you: Jesus and the American Soldier. Jesus died for your soul and the soldier died for your freedom. – author unknown

Somewhere in the world is a dust ridden square of ground that probably has never seen a patch of grass. The sun beats down on this area, unrelenting, causing everyone in sight to find whatever small piece of shade they can find.

A group of kids gathers around as a bag full of equipment is emptied at their feet. Beaten up baseballs, worn out gloves and dinged up bats fall near their feet. What might have been cast off equipment to you or I makes their eyes light up with wonderment.

Broken English is spoken by most of the kids, while some can barely speak English at all. They scramble to look at the equipment, picking up various pieces of catcher’s gear and wondering how to put it on or what it is used for. Their adult friends, dressed in camouflaged fatigues, begin to explain the game.

Over the next few hours the men will teach the young kids how to throw and catch, how to hit and pitch, and some basic rules of a game completely foreign to them. They will draw foul lines in the dirt and create makeshift bases with sandbags.

The men will become children all over again, running abound and kicking up dust as they play a loose game of baseball with the kids from the nearby town. Dressed in boots and sweat pouring from their bodies, the soldiers will connect with children that can barely communicate with them. A small crowd of locals gathers to watch the game unfold before them. Pretty soon, most of the town has gathered around to see the boys play this game.

For a brief moment in a violent and battle ridden area, American Soldiers will develop a relationship with young children starved for some understanding of these men and women in their land. The children will come to respect and understand the men a little bit more. No longer will they cower away, shy at their approach. No longer will they feel threatened. They will have developed a bit of a friendship with this soldier from a foreign land. Because those soldiers took time to share a game, a universal language, the American Pastime. Baseball.

Little do the kids realize that the soldiers discovered something of their own. They found a memory that would last a lifetime. They found a little bit of home on the other side of the world. They found humanity in a place that society tells them they don’t belong. They took the time and connected with another person, regardless of age, and discovered a little happiness in a depressing situation.

The following day the children will return to their daily lives. The soldiers will return to their ongoing battle. Some of them, both children and soldiers, will die on or near the makeshift baseball diamond they created. It is a reality of the war and the world they both exist in.

Baseball provided an opportunity, a break, from this harsh reality. Baseball created a connection that they all shared.

For a brief moment, a few hours, they found a piece of Heaven on Earth.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

I’ll warn you now – this article is not about baseball.

Today is Veterans Day. Perhaps you wonder what the difference is between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Memorial Day was established as a national day of mourning, to remember the American Soldiers that fell in battle defending this Union. Veterans Day was initially established as Armistice Day, to commemorate the end of World War I, that ‘War to End All Wars’. History shows the armistice merely set the stage for the much deadlier conflict that began 21 years later. In 1954, Armistice Day was transformed by Act of Congress into Veterans Day, a day to remember all those who have served in the military.

Can the average American relate to the military, and what the American soldier/sailor/airman/Marine sets aside to serve? They cannot imagine what it is like to go into combat, much less be wounded in battle. One would have to experience it first-hand, something out of reach (thankfully) for most of us. I can’t imagine it; and I know playing Halo, Call of Duty, or whatever your combat game of choice is won’t adequately simulate it. But Active Service does not lead all to the battle field, and even those currently on the battle field have experiences before they get to Iraq or Afghanistan the average American can identify with.

If you have young children, and go on week-long business trips, you are familiar with the sad look on their faces the day before you leave. Now imagine that trip lasting six to twelve months. Imagine the child reduced to screams and tears as she watches her father walk across the brow so his ship can get underway for that deployment. A long deployment away from family is difficult, but manageable for the adult. For a three-year old it constitutes a huge chunk of their young life without Daddy.

If you have older children, perhaps you’ve experienced the feeling of pride when they complete a major life event, like graduation from high school or college. Imagine watching your son or daughter graduate from Marine Corps boot camp. The same feeling of pride is present, perhaps amplified, but tinged with apprehension and some fear because you know they will head to a place where serious people will try to kill them.

If you or someone close to you have had to have surgery for whatever reason, you know a trained medical team will perform the procedure. You also know they will have time to evaluate and plan what they will remove or insert, taking great care in both. Imagine the skill and heroism of medics, doctors, and nurses trying to save the lives or our young wounded grievously in combat. They’ve had no time to plan or evaluate, and they may have little time to fix what has been blown apart in order to save that life.

If you have had a friend or loved one taken from you unexpectedly and too young, you can relate to the emotions felt by those rendering silent salutes for the fallen returning to Andrews AFB in flag-draped coffins. You can relate to the anguish felt by their families.

Veterans do not need a day to remember their service. They carry it with them forever. Veterans Day is for the average citizen – an opportunity to reflect on what we have as Americans, and what those among us have done to guarantee we continue to have it.

Mike Metzger is an I-70 contributing writer, Navy veteran, and author of Padres Trail. Follow him on Twitter.