Forty years ago

Day 968 - today is Saturday and Yom Kippur. Forty years ago on the same day, the day of Yom Kippur, our country was attacked by the Syrian army in the north and the Egyptian army in the south. They caught us by surprise and managed to do a lot of damage before our reserve forces got ready and started to fight back. This war lasted for 3 weeks and caused a big scar in our national memory, a scar that never healed. More that two thousand dead, thousands injured, MIAs POWs all things we didn't know how to deal with, especially since it came only 6 years after the Six days war and the national euphoria it brought with it. 40 years later; I remember it as if it was yesterday, the sudden siren in the middle of the holiest day, were no car is moves and all is almost at stand still. Too many people carry the wounds of this war physical and emotional on their body and soul, and the nation as a whole never fully recovered. There are so many debated of "what if", and "was it worth it" but I am not going to go into all that. Today I am looking at the memorial candle I lit and remember friends who lost their lives in all the wars we were force to have to be able to live in this wonderful country of ours as a free and independent nation, and given the nature of the enemies surrounding us, these were wars for our right to be alive and be here. Today I remember all those who died and the so many more who didn't die but were never the same coming back from the battle field. I am sure that every man who ever was in these killing fields, fighting to keep us alive, fighting for his own life, was forever changed. I am sure they all have nightmares and too many pictures they would love to forget. But they went back, again and again every time they were called to the reserve training, to fight in the next war and later they sent their sons to harms way for the very same reason to protect our right to live here in our country. I don't know how they did it, how they do it to this day but I salute each and every one of these brave men. I am so proud to belong to the same nation, to sing the same national anthem, to salute to the same flag.
  
I am thankful beyond words to the so many brave men that day in and day out protecting us so we can live safely our daily life. I am thankful to all the men who with their body and soul made it possible for our country to reach it's 65th anniversary; sadly so the price is devastating. I am bowing my head to the horrific price these men and their families had to pay for that privilege and I am eternally thankful to them.