A flower grows through the asphalt of the road leading to the alert stands at Loring Air Force Base in Maine. On the other
side of the security fence at the end of this road, B-52 bombers, armed with thermonuclear weapons stood ready for the unthinkable.
Today, the alert stands are empty and nature is slowly reclaiming what was always hers. This came about only because of the
sacrifices made by the men and women who chose to wear the uniform of the free world's armed services. There is still conflict
in the world today and perhaps there always will be, but we are no longer at the brink of Armageddon.
Now, rather
than reacting to world events, our military is actively engaged in protecting our freedoms by protecting the freedoms of others.
These men and women need our support. It is a minuscule price for us to pay for the freedoms we enjoy.
The Cold war is over, but another kind of war is being fought all over the
world by men and women who are giving everything they have to ensure the peace of not only our country, but the countries
of those who are too weak to defend themselves.
