September 11 is a day marked in history by the horror we witnessed of the twin towers falling in New York City, but this September 11 I wanted to focus on an unsung holiday called Patriot Day. A holiday that should be celebrated with more valor, but mass media solely focused on the terror incident of 2001. So let me start by defining what makes a patriot.

A patriot is a person  supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies. Men and women give up their lives and leave behind their family for months at a time to serve . They uphold the ideals of our country and serve as the protection against those who which us harm. They live often times off the little paychecks they receive for their time served. They are not thanked or appreciated often when they pass us, the everyday citizen, by.