Happy Veterans Day!

We here at BMC Insurance would like to say thank you to all veterans who've served and sacrificed for our freedoms and our country. We'd also like to say thank you to all military personell currently serving our country, especially those who've participated or are still fighting the war on terror in Iraq & Afghanistan. We pray for your safe & quick return home.

To help pay tribute to all of our veterans & those currently serving, I wanted to share this story with you. This e-mail below is from an ex-Allstate agent from Alabama, Richard Smith, who sold his Allstate agency a few years ago after being diagnosed with cancer. After somehow overcoming & beating the cancer, at age 50, he tried to re-enlist into the Marines. He is a former 20 year Marine as well and served as a helicopter flight engineer. After beating cancer, he wanted to do something to make a difference with his 2nd chance at life. The Marines turned him down however the Army agreed to take him for 1 tour.

He's currently in Afghanistan and sends emails home as often as he can. This one was circulated among Allstate agents and I wanted to share it with you.

Subject: It's Monday, but everyday's a Monday

Hey to everybody, it's 2:30 am in 'Bama, here it's noon.

I had a minute and thought I would drop an email. I'm still here, still kickin'. It's been very busy - flyin' like crazy. The last 2 days, I have flown 22 hours, and add on pre-flights and post flights and its long days. Not complaining, just statin' the facts. All my days are starting to run together, but yesterday or the day before, we had another rocket attack. I was out flying, so I missed that one. It hit the medical triage tent and luckily no one was in there. Just some minor injuries collaterally.

I think I've just about covered most of south and central Afghan so far. I've been to Kabul, Bagram, Shank, and a whole bunch of little outposts with names like lightening and goodpeppers and a bunch of little spots on the sides of mountains with no names at all. In those places, there were nothing but Marines and/or SF guys -Unbelievable, resilient, tough, young men that are fighting in this war. I continue to be impressed with the caliber, character, and toughness of these young guys that are out there in the fight every single day. I hope American comes to appreciate this generation's war and their sacrifices. Tough as nails, and yet quick with a smile and a handshake to the old jarhead pushing some food and ammo to them off the ramp of a Chinook. I have to admit it, it brings a tear to my eye every time we pull pitch and leave them waving back in a cloud of dust and sand in the middle of no man's land. When I close my eyes at night, I can see their faces and I wonder if those same faces will still be there when I come back for the next resupply. I am dealing with everything as it comes. I had to do 2 med-evacs yesterday and they really got to me. I think I am just a little over-tired.

It puts new meaning to the saying, "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

I've got night missions tonight, so I may try to lie down for a minute.

Hope all of you are doing well. I miss you all.

Richard Smith