LatinaLista — It doesn’t matter what side of the political aisle you shout from, an uniting fact is an appreciation of the men and women who serve in our nation’s military.
Those soldiers who are dispatched to the Middle East, and other high-risk areas, face such trauma that their lives may never be the same again and what thanks do they get from the rest of us?
Lately, while traveling, there have been small signs of people trying to show their gratitude to these soldiers returning from combat — allowing them to be the first to disembark from a plane, walking up and shaking their hands or having their meals bought or paid for by appreciative strangers.
Unfortunately, not all of us may be able to spare an extra ten when it comes to showing appreciation to our military or feel too shy to walk up to someone who doesn’t know us. In turn, some of these soldiers feel a little awkward in knowing how to receive such attention.
Yet, there is still a way to show gratitude to these men and women for their military service.
A national campaign focused on getting Americans to thank our military personnel is underway. It’s called The Gratitude Campaign and it doesn’t involve money, a handshake or even a verbal thank you — only a simple gesture.
Starting with your hand over your heart (like you’re saying the Pledge of Allegiance), extend your hand down, palm up and arm still bent at the elbow and stop right above your waist. It resembles the American Sign Language sign for “thank you” but there is a slight difference to the gratitude sign.
Organizers of the campaign want people to do this, and not feel shy about it, whenever they see a person in uniform. As the tagline for the campaign says:
