I have wanted an M1 for as long as I can remember wanting any gun. I have always been an avid reader of history, and the idea of owning one of the rifles that men, some younger than me, used to do incredible, and at times unspeakable things, seemed like something too good to be true. I have many family members who used M1's to save their own lives, as well as to procure the heritage that we as Americans have. I have put off purchasing an M1 many times due to feeling something else would be more practical. No longer. With my tax return I purchased a Garand. She's a March of '45 rifle, and she looks good for her age. I cannot wait to put some rounds down the barrel, and as my kids grow, to teach them about history, while shooting. This is a long way to say "I got a Garand!", but this rifle is more than just another gun, it's a way to remember the many men who died, not just with this type of rifle in their hands, but who put others before themselves, and went to a place they knew they might not come home from. I have never served, but I try to keep in the front of my mind the fact that many have and are currently, putting others ahead of themselves. I cannot pick up, this rifle, without thinking of them.