Reflecting today on how thankful I am for the generations of U.S. residents who willingly put themselves in danger to protect our multicultural democratic experiment. I also take a bit of time every year, since it’s publication in 2015, to reflect on this article:

Through the decade after World War II, when so many American families had at least one member in uniform, political and journalistic references were admiring but not awestruck. Most Americans were familiar enough with the military to respect it while being sharply aware of its shortcomings, as they were with the school system, their religion, and other important and fallible institutions.