The following is a guest post from a fellow colleague at Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Lisa Yauch.

He stepped off the Greyhound bus, perhaps not at the wrong place, but at the wrong time. Before he knew it Army medic James “Jim” Fergusson, who had just returned from serving in Vietnam (1966-1969), was assaulted by two men looking to rob someone. After roughing him up, the two assailants took off with his wallet. A bit dazed, Jim walked the few blocks to his parent’s home in Long Beach, CA. He stumbled in the front door to the sound of mother’s voice, singing merrily to herself as an appealing aroma wafted from the kitchen. At that moment, the attack seemed surreal, almost like it never happened. He dropped what was left of his bag and called out, “Hey, what’s for dinner?!” to the shock and surprise of his mother, who did not know if/when her son would return. James Fergusson was home.

Jim, who happens to be my neighbor, told me about this unfortunate encounter recently while we were discussing Veterans Day. I asked him how the attack made him feel, especially being a Vet. He admitted he couldn’t believe, after dutifully serving his country, he would come back to more violence. Jim said, “It was bad enough to witness good friends dying around me. Then this incident occurred. It was an unexpected slap in the face.” Jim went on, “But! When I tell you on that walk to my parent’s house, when I entered my family home, absolutely nothing else mattered EXCEPT that I was home. It made all the difference in the world.”

I chose to share this brief, but poignant story with readers to show that no matter our circumstances, a home can make us feel happy, safe and secure. And just as important, it gives us a chance to reflect upon the important role Veterans play in our lives, for they are the ones who have consistently protected our homes since the founding of our nation.

To the brave men and women who have proudly served us time and again, we are proud to return the service! May you have a memorable and honorable Veterans Day.

Header image courtesy of Flickr user DVIDSHUB