Excellent post. I have to say, I was pulled in because I was wondering how you were going to connect the picture of this man -- yes, he is "dreamy"! -- and patriotism. But it worked perfectly. I also like how you acknowledged that yes, the Marine's actions were heroic, but we should not feel ashamed for not keeping active duty soldiers in the front of our minds at all times; shaming is not the way to inspire others to act.
Overall, great post. For what it's worth, I resteemed it to my small group of followers.
P.S. We do have a volunteer military, but some people are economically pressured into joined, so it's not 100% free will.