VETERANS DAY is, arguably, the most essential, critical and gracious way to celebrate AMERICAN DEVOTION. For it is that day, every year, when we give thanks to and for those brave souls who have served, fought or died to preserve America, unequivocally the greatest country on the face of the earth. So thank you—Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard and Police Force for all you’ve done and will continue to do! Without you there would be no America.
Captain Lou Gacs of the U.S. Marine Corps is one of those devoted American souls. A career soldier, Capt. Gacs served three tours of duty in Vietnam. At one point, among other functions, he was a .50 cal helicopter machine gunner. How scary is that … and yet very competent. Still, Capt. Lou, aka “Relic 2,” never talks about his accomplishments, even though he also has a Master’s degree in business. Capt. Lou Gacs is smart, strong, brave, courageous, loyal, determined. Plus, he has been a great friend of the Karate Institute of America, now for 42 years! He is also a Master Black Belt in multiple systems. Amazing! How lucky are we? Thanks, Capt. Lou!
As the photo below shows, Relic 1 (guess who) and Relic 2 are standing with a lovely Southern California lady who is a great and grateful American. She, of course, loved the colors of “our” flag and all it stands for. Frankly, she approached us and shared her story and gratitude for all Veterans. She also was accompted by other family members who were, likewise, Devoted Americans.
As Lou and I walked around Dana Point, we were stopped quite often by other Devoted Americans sharing their thanks for our country’s bravest and most loyal Americans. Many of the people had family members who served, even died, for the USA. It was quite the experience. This happened time and time again. Relic 2 and I counted approximately 40 people who stopped and talked … and gave thanks … to our Veterans. It was a walk to remember, for sure. Here is an interesting story. In the photo below are two Asian ladies. They were very excited and wanted to share their gratitude for being in America. In fact, the lady standing next to Relic 1 was from a foreign country. Her plane landed just 24 hours before our accidental meeting. This vibrant lady couldn’t speak English. Yet, she couldn’t stop smiling and she couldn’t stop taking pictures. She simply couldn’t believe she was on American soil. She loved it. Her smile was genuine, gracious and grateful. It was an awesome experience to see the joy that being in America and on American soil, could generate from a person who couldn’t speak the language at all. In her own way this lady had surely become the epitome of AMERICAN DEVOTION.
