While I spend Labor Day at the South Dakota State Fair 4-H heifer show, I know many folks are using the last holiday of summer to get in some lake time, grill and have fun with friends and family. Today is the day to relax and appreciate all you have worked for through the year. As always, when I think of Labor Day, I think of the troops.
Many of the men and women serving our country don’t get to spend the day with loved ones. They may be facing months of active duty overseas, fighting peril and other hardships. Most assuredly, they are missing home, and I want them to know their sacrifice is appreciated.
This sentiment is particularly meaningful to our family this year, as my cousin, Erin, will deploy to Afghanistan in January. We pray for her safety, as well as the safety of the men and women who will serve alongside her.
Last week, I visited with BEEF magazine’s 2012 Trailblazer Award winner, Bill Broadie of Ashland, KS. Of course, the former Marine and Purple Heart recipient was on the road to another steak feed for the troops. Broadie’s organization, the All-American Beef Battalion (AABB), has been serving up steak dinners to deploying and returning U.S. troops and their families since the program was born five years ago.
It’s a great organization that promotes beef while thanking the troops. As Broadie often says, “There’s no better way to say thanks than with a steak.” If you haven’t heard of AABB, check them out at www.steaksfortroops.com.
If you are familiar with AABB, then you already know of their great work and mission. I was impressed to hear that they might surpass 200,000 steaks served by the end of 2013!
So today, I salute the men and women serving our nation, and I thank Broadie and his AABB team as they work to serve up a thank you with American beef!
How are you spending Labor Day? Do you have someone special in the military you would like to thank today? Leave your stories in the comments section below.
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