Have you ever passed a soldier on the street and wished you could tell them just how much you appreciate their sacrifice.
I'm sure all if not most of us have family and/or friends that are in the service and have put their lives on the line because they were called to duty. Leaving behind everything and everyone they love to go off to a foreign world for months & years at a time, some never having the chance to return home. People my age and younger are experiencing the realities of war ever day and I respect them for their bravery and selflessness more than they would ever know.
Well, now there's a way to show our thanks with a simple hand gesture. This sign was created in France and brought to America in the 1816 by the famous Thomas H. Gallaudet (the inspiration behind the founding of Gallaudet University). While the sign has been modified to start at the chin when used in normal everyday signing it's original form has been revisited and adopted as the official expression of gratitude towards soldiers.
I love this!
For more on this campaign chack out the official website @ http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/
(Just wanna say "Thanks" Ty!)
At the end of the day... this is my favorite sign!
Now, I know this is a national campaign and all but I still wonder... do the masses know about this? And furthermore, do the soldiers know about this? I would hate to greet a soldier and have him/her look at me like a loony :)... so I'm gonna try this out and see if they know what I'm saying. You guys do the same and let me know the feedback you get!
Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any family and/or friends away at war, or if you yourself have toured in Iraq, or just let us know what you think of this new "Thank You" gesture..............
3 comments:
Aww Mereesa! You got me all emotional over here. I just browsed to your page and didn't expect to see my picture posted.
You know, I'm a 26 year old veteran, and when I think about it, I can't believe its me. Sometimes when I'm out and about in my uniform, I always get at least one person to say thank you for my service. But I ALWAYS reply, "thank you for your support because that means more".
You don't know how much it means to a person in the military when they get this, because it makes you feel like you have an impact on this world. And in all actuality, you do. I think whether you support the war or not, you should always support that soldier, marine, airman, or sailor because they VOLUNTEERED to do things that most people would never think of doing, and that's to serve in the Armed Forces and protect the free world.
Before I joined the military, I never knew what it took for me to have the basic rights I have today. A lot of us don't realize that without a strong military protecting the American people, we could be living like those in Iraq or Afghanistan. I spent 1 year and 3 months in Iraq, and the conditions over there will never compare to the U.S. People always talk about how they came from the "hood" and how "hard" they had it. But the worst hood or ghetto here is like Paradise in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Those people have suffered way more due to a corrupt government and rogue terrorist. While living over there, I can not recall one day where I didn't hear a bomb going off, or a mortar being dropped in the city of Baghdad. We are fortunate that those things aren't an everyday occurrence for us here. But to them, it is.
So thank you Mereesa for sheding a little light on the subject. And I will tell you like I tell everyone else... Thank you for your support! Because you actually were there since day 1! From my first day in ROTC until now. And I love you for it.
for me still having a brother serving in Afganastan i allways had a deep appreciation for our armed forces.So thanks for for bringing this issue to light Mereesa..Good job.
so i totally asked a soldier the other day if they knew anything about this ........and they said NO! lmao
whats the point if soldiers don't even know what this gesture means??? lol
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