For my grandparents' generation, December 7, 1941 is the most notable day of their lives.  Nearly seven decades later, most school kids probably couldn't tell you what happened on that date.

I fear that September 11, 2001 someday will go the way of Pearl Harbor Day, but nine years on, it remains all too fresh in most minds.  I'd imagine December 7, 1950 brought out a bevy of emotions.

It's remarkable if what I've heard is true about Texas A&M's football team being the only one without a televised game in the first three outings.  If only one could have made it to the airwaves, Stephen F. Austin would have been a good one in retrospect because of the great performance.  With foresight, though, I would have liked to have seen today's game broadcast if only to spotlight to thousands more people the admiration and support this community has for those who wear a uniform and swear an oath to serve and protect.  If you get the chance, check out Aggie Gameday (4 p.m. on CW-Texas, streaming live and archived here at KBTX.com) for a taste of the spirit.

Thousands, including my dad and some friends, have made sacrifices to keep us safe and free, and to provide safety and freedom to others.  In the wake of burning rubble and wrecked lives, we as a nation can look towards stars and stripes and know despite inevitable imperfections, we live in the greatest place on the planet because of the people who salute that flag.

Maybe Patriot Day will fade into semi-obsurity years from now...but now, it's all too clear, all too raw, all too sad, but all too uplifting.