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Honor And Recognition For Defending The Freedom Of The United States

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Soldiers deserve honor and recognition for defending the freedom of the United States. They risk their lives so other Americans do not have to, and they are rightfully thanked for their work. Honoring soldiers is viewed as respectful and lets the soldiers know that Americans value their sacrifices for our country. However, for some people commending soldiers is often more about their own personal gain and self-esteem than about respecting the soldier. Honoring soldiers is often used as an excuse to boost popularity, increase personal satisfaction, and worst of all, to make money. Mention book In Ben Fountain’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, many people approached Billy to congratulate him for his service in Iraq. One lady talked to Billy about watching 9/11 on the news and proclaimed how proud she was that justice was being done (Fountain 44). She conveyed her thoughts concerning the war for a while before asking, “Which one are you?” to Billy, almost as if she really did not care about Billy as much as she did getting her thoughts on the war out to a soldier. After Billy introduced himself, the woman continued her spiel on how patriotic she and her daughter acted (Fountain 44). Throughout the time the woman spoke Billy, kept quiet and let her continue, a considerate act which showed Billy’s lack of interest in what the woman had to say. The woman talked to Billy mostly to boost her personal satisfaction and pride for her country, instead of to thank Billy for
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