Freedom is something for which Americans should be supremely thankful; yet, I suspect many of us routinely take that great blessing for granted. Recently, I had an opportunity to engage in some serious reflection on freedom, listening to the guest speaker at Meridian Community College’s annual Veterans’ Day program.

    The speaker was Johnny Lee Baxter, a gentleman I have known for the past 14 years simply as “John.”  He is the National Weather Service’s (NWS) meteorologist stationed in Meridian, and, as such, is in the business of protecting the citizenry by providing timely information on all manner of weather issues.  He is of special assistance to colleges and schools in our region when it comes to counsel on weather closings.

    But long before John set up his NWS shop in Meridian, he was about protecting the citizenry, joining the U.S. Air Force straight out of high school near Tampa, FL. He was accepted into the USAF’s weather academy and over time became one of America’s top military meteorologists with tours in Portugal, German, and Viet Nam. As a for instance, John served as Chief of Weather Operations at three different major air bases – Sacramento, Clovis, NM, and Bitburg, Germany.

    John, however, didn’t just dodge hail and lightning bolts. There was a time in Viet Nam when he was dodging bullets in hellish, blood-soaked places like Hamburger Hill, flying extremely hazardous helicopter combat rescue missions.  John spoke briefly of those horrific times in his address to our students and staff at MCC, and it brought back memories for me of a young man who graduated from my high school in Chattanooga, TN. That young man, named Jeff, flew those same rescue missions in Nam. Today Jeff’s name is etched upon the “Wall” in Washington, D.C.  He was among those thousands who literally gave their all.

    John Baxter, who became one of the USAF’s youngest master sergeants of his era, refuses to think of himself as a hero and never mentions his decorations. I’m personally aware, however, of those medals – among our nation’s highest military awards – but I won’t detail them for you in this writing out of respect for my friend, John.  He considers those who never came back as the real heroes, and desires no accolades whatsoever for himself.

    But when I sit down with my family this Thanksgiving, I hope I’ll remember to thank God for people like Johnny Lee Baxter who put it all on the line so that the rest of us might gather as we please, speak as we please, worship as we please, and participate unfettered in the democratic process.

    To reiterate, those are blessings that are too often taken for granted. But they have nonetheless been paid for at a tremendous human cost.

    I guess that’s why I get so upset when I’m at an event like a football or basketball game and the National Anthem is played. I look around and observe young men with ballcaps perched on their heads. I see people milling about and conversing with one another, rather than demonstrating some measure of respect.

    Such people, in my view, don’t have the first clue. They either don’t know any history or, worse yet, just don’t care.

     To me, when the National Anthem is played, I see more than a flag. I see a red, white and blue symbol – a symbol of the sacrifices made by my grandfather in WWI, my own father in WWII, and thousands upon thousands of others like Johnny Lee Baxter, some of whom made it back and some of whom didn’t.  Either way, people like me owe them an immeasurable debt.

    After the MCC Veterans’ Day program, I shook John’s hand and tried to express my appreciation for his service. In his humble way, all John would say was, “That was a long time ago.”

    Not so long ago, really. And, in any respect, should never be forgotten. So, Happy Thanksgiving to you, Master Sgt. Baxter, and to your brothers and sisters in the military, past and present.