Inspiration

I have been a paramedic now for 15 years. I have worked for 3 different EMS services over the years and have had the pleasure of visiting with several members of the "Greatest Generation". That is of course the generation who served during WWII.
I have always been interested in that conflict. I am not sure why, but I have. So when I am able, I like talking to both men and women who served. I had the chance to visit with a gentleman once on the way to the VA hospital in Wichita, KS. He had been fighting in France and through fate, wound up on the wrong side of a grenade. During a battle, his unit was being attacked, during this, a German soldier had thrown a grenade into the structure that he and his unit were in. In a snap decision, he leaped onto the grenade to save the lives of his fellow soldiers and the grenade went off. He lost both legs, both hands and his sight. He also sustained damage to several internal organs and lost 11 feet of his colon and his spleen. Needless to say, this man was in rough shape. He barely survived. Fast forward to the year 2003. Now an old man, he needed to go to the VA to get treatment for an infection. I drew the card. The conversation was interesting and heartbreaking to say the least. He was the first person to bring to my attention to the inscription that is located above the entrance. He told me, "Now I have never seen it, but I believe it with all that is left of me" He chuckled and told me, "look up as you enter the front door of the hospital." I did so. Right there in bold letters, where one would think I would have noticed it after standing in that very spot dozens of times, it read..."Herein lies the price of freedom".
This vet was not complaining, nor was he trying to make a point, however, he did. My view on the Greatest Generation as well as all of those who serve in the US armed forces changed that day.
This was brought to my remembrance today and I wrote a song about it. I plan to record it soon and post it on my website as soon as I can. - Jamison