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If you had your choice, in which country would you live? Asking that question reminds me of a good friend. When he was 18 years old, he joined the Army. His name was Paul, and after basic training he volunteered to become a paratrooper. During his time in the service, he rose from private to eventually becoming a captain. As a paratrooper, he made 23 jumps, two of them behind enemy lines. Paul was wounded in action in Korea and received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star.

After his discharge from the military, he remained active in his community and continued to give back to his state and country the rest of his life. Those 23 parachute jumps took a physical toll on his body, especially on his hips. Now, he had a great regard for his fellow veterans and knew that many continued to need help from the VA and their medical services. He didn’t believe he was one of them and said, “Al, I joined the Army to serve my country, not my country to serve me.”

Lou Holtz once said over WCCO that there are leaners and lifters in this country. I know that Paul was a lifter all his life and I don’t hold a candle to the life my friend lived.

With our country in debt at $36 trillion, can we all become lifters to help our community, our state and our country?

Al Arends
Albert Lea