Soldiering On

He never served his country. Never picked up a rifle. Never even got in a fight.

He was an agreeable man stuck with a very disagreeable disease.

It kept him from doing a lot of things. Eventually, even things like walking. But that didn't stop him from loving his country or those who served his country.

He was known to see servicemen and women in a restaurant and quietly pick up the tab. Upon hearing a soldier had been killed in a mishap awhile back, he just as quietly donated a hefty sum to pay for that soldier's kids' education. He always did so anonymously.

When I asked him why he did so much for veterans when he wasn't one himself, he quite properly shot me down.

"Precisely ‘because’ I'm not," he said. "They made it easy for me."

But looking at him, I don't see a guy who's getting off easy. I see a guy who's suffering but still smiling. I see someone who's trudging on, even when his body is shutting down.

He could be bitter, but he's not.

He could dismiss veterans, but he won't.

"I've been very lucky in life," he tells me. "The least I could do is help those who protect my life."

He's not a soldier, but he soldiers on.

I don't mention him simply because he's in my book. I mention him because he defines my book and our country.

You can read about him next week and see him on this show next week too.

Stay tuned. You'll discover you don't have to be a hero in uniform to appreciate uniformly all heroes everywhere.

Something to think about this Memorial Day weekend.

Check out previous Common Sense columns and watch Neil Cavuto weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on "Your World with Cavuto."