I have a picture somewhere around here of me as a little boy wearing the outfit my mother made for me back when we were living in Carlisle while my dad was off to war in Vietnam and I had to polish up and look good for the grand opening of my great Uncle John's church there in downtown. Afterwords I recall that we went to his rooms where we watched as the Parade marched through Carlisle with a sizeable group of marchers wearing the uniforms they wore during the Great War. As I look back from now I can see that those old veteran's probably used to watch a similar parade as the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic marched on their Remembrance Day.
This time of year is not the one that any sane person would pick to honor veterans of our nation's wars but it was chosen long ago by the day that the guns finally fell silent all along the endless front as the fighting of World War I finally came to an end. It is by any light a fine day to simply take a few long moments and remember the veterans and if you know some, buy them a cup of coffee and maybe a nice chocolate cream donut or a really good bagel because we they deserve it!
And remember, all veterans are way too old and broken to garden or shovel snow.
5 comments:
I am retired USAF, 21 years. I moved to south GA to the town that serves as the west gate to Ft Stewart almost 2 years ago. In the ATL every business gives out a doughnut, coffee, a meal, desert, or gift. Going out for a quiet meal is impossible as Vets are going from freebee to freebee. Throw into the mix my birthday is Nov 11. The Veteran pandering freebees has bothered me for years. Granted I never turned anything down. This is the first year in many years I did not get a Veteran freebee. It felt good.
On the flip side; two weeks ago after therapy I stopped for a well deserved strawberry shake at the diner and malt shop. A soldier had just made Sargent and he took his wife and kid out to celebrate just before unknown pay status due to Dem Govt Shutdown. That milkshake cost me $67. The waitress discounted the meal and shake 15% and gave me a free large shake coupon. Her mascara became a mess. I went home knowing a new Sargent did not have to stress the celebratory diner of hamburgers with a questionable pay status. That shake was well worth the $67. That is my veteran story of the quarter.
That's what an American does.
HT sir.
You are a fellow 1961 model year human, and aren't you?
And it's a good one! Happy Birthday! and, November 11 is also my mother's birthday.
January of that year. I like to think it was a very good year.
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