I opposed the war at its inception. And, over the past five years, my opposition has grown, as I’ve found myself increasingly dismayed by the folly of our foreign policy, by our wholesale ignorance of Middle Eastern, colonial, and military histories.

But, during that same time, through running CrossFit, I’ve also had the chance to develop real friendships with active-duty soldiers, with Navy SEALs, Airforce pilots and front-line Marines.

I am embarrassed to say how few soldiers I knew prior to that. And I am embarrassed to say that, until recently, I don’t think I really understood what it meant to oppose the war yet support our troops.

As Thomas Campbell observed in the first World War, it is the patriot’s blood that seeds Freedom’s tree. Happy Memorial Day.