Happy Veterens Day Nov.11

DG Hear

My Friend Kipper
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Jun 14, 2005
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I received this from a friend today. I didn't write it but I do agree with it. I'm not a veteren but I totally respect them and what they have done for all of us.
DG Hear

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Joe has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Veteran died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Veteran died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Veteran
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Veteran,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever-waffling stand?

Or would you want a Veteran
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Veteran,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Veteran,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Veteran's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honour
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:

"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A VETERAN DIED TODAY."
PLEASE pass On The Patriotism! YOU can make a difference.

:heart::rose::heart::rose::heart:
 
Thanks DG. I agree, recognizing veterans is a worthy idea and, for me, this quote sums up the reason why:

“A veteran is someone who wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including his life.” – Colonel Gene Castagnetti

Of course, that's true regardless of country. It just happened to be a former U.S. Marine Corp colonel who said that.

I grew up in the shadow of a WWII veteran. My dad was part of the D-Day landing. He was part of the Omaha Beach landing depicted during the opening of "Saving Private Ryan." His landing happened at H-Hour +3 minutes. Of the 44 landing with him, only 11 made it through that first day. That's a damn big shadow!

I served in the US Army during peace time. I needed more $$$ to go back to college and that was the fastest way to get the funds I needed. For years afterwards, I felt as if I had been less of a soldier because I never saw any combat. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about never seeing any action, I'm just saying - by comparison to those veterans I've known who braved action, I felt like less of a veteran.

Seeing that quote helped me because it's true and I would encourage everyone who knows a veteran, regardless of when or where they served, say "Thank you" to them. All vets signed the same check. The lucky ones never had it cashed.
 
I hit our Veterans Memorial Park here in Pensacola on Friday to take some pics and touch my cousin's name on "Wall South."

http://resources.convergeapp.net/ImageStore/ClientSite/6436/Resources/About/vista1.jpg

If you have never been here or heard about this unbelievable five-and-a-half acre park with individual monuments honoring veterans from every war and conflict clear back to 1776...including a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Wall...then invest a few minutes and watch this very moving video about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUvtUjEDFyc


http://resources.convergeapp.net/ImageStore/ClientSite/6436/Resources/Memorials/vietnam_1.jpg
 
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For us in the UK, it's slightly different. It's Armistice Day.
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. . .

All the villages, towns and cities have a War Memorial of some sort; there were just a handful of villages in England where no villager-soldier had died.
Compare that with a Wool town in the north where not one house was spared the dread telegram notifying of the loss of a son, brother or father. And it had taken all of fifteen minutes!

It took a long time, but we have a National Memorial Arboretum and a beautiful place it is, with special line-ups of places and things. (See their website HERE )
 
Today I visited my father-in-law's old school.

They had filled their library with pictures and accounts of those old boys who had served in World Wars 1 and 2, including the many who had died.

My father-in-law was the eldest of four old boys of that school. All served in WW2.

One, my wife's uncle, died in Italy.

My father-in-law was called up later than 1939 because he was working in the Ministry of War Transport when war was declared and he was initially an 'essential' worker. He became an aircraft mechanic on a bomber base, patching up damaged aircraft for further service (and dodging Luftwaffe bombs).

Another brother served in the British Army as a corporal, was selected for officer training and sent to India. He commanded Gurkhas at Imphal and Kohima - very bloody battles against the Japanese.

The other brother was already in the RAF in their intelligence branch. His war was in the Middle East and North Africa, often among hostile tribes and behind enemy lines.

They were the only quartet of brothers who had gone to that school and fought in WW2, so when their family arrived to see the exhibition, we were welcomed warmly. The pictures of all four brothers, and their wartime stories, and later lives, were on display but we were able to add more detail to the information they had.

The Kohima Prayer:

"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"
 
Across the street from my dentist is a little cafe. There's a big banner across the front, "On Veterans' Day, Vets Eat Free". I guess I'll go avail myself of his hospitality. The military tradition in my family, at least on my mother's side, goes back to the Revolution, as does my wife's. Our daughter is another.
 
My thanks to all who have served, including my darling Master who served in the Navy for 24 years, including a tour in Vietnam.
 
We call it Remembrance Day here in Canada.

Many of my relatives served in the First and Second World Wars and in Korea, but the one I always think of was my great great uncle.

He was a Canadian officer who volunteered as part of the CANLOAN program to lead British troops into battle on D-Day. He was killed two months later in the Battle of Arnhem (Operation Market Garden - as depicted in the film A Bridge Too Far).

He died decades before I was born, but my great grandmother often told me about her brother and I have a copy of his military record (more than 200 pages). The one document I always remember is an inventory of the contents of his footlocker, taken before they were sent home to his widow, and the line, "one pair pink knitted infant socks."

Those socks and a black and white photo were all he ever knew of his daughter, who was born while he was overseas and never had a chance to meet.

So on Remembrance Day I think not only of those who sacrificed their lives for their countries, but the sacrifice of those they left behind.
 
One of my fav things to do is buy breakfast, lunch or dinner for a member of the military (identified as them in uniform.).

Never made a big deal about it. Just quietly gave extra money to our server and said "it's for them." I do that as I leave as I'm not looking for recognition. Just want the military to know America supports them.

It puts the biggest smile on my face and it stays there all day.



To all the Veterans and current military members ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service.
 
To my Grandfater-in-law who passed away 1 year ago served in WW2 (Iwo Jima) and my Father who passed away 11 years served in Vietnam (Bomb Disposal - Okinawa).

Honored Veterans Day to both of them and to everyone else who served - past and present.

-V
 
Remembrance Sunday, I've always called it.

I rode out with about 50 members of my cycling club (in several smaller groups) to a small village in the Surrey Hills where they hold a service. We've been doing it for several years, I think the locals were quite shocked at first, but they've got used to the extras descending to pay their respects, and even asked the club to lay a wreath this year.

It's only a small village, and must have been tiny in those days. The winter sun was shining, last of the autumn leaves falling, birds singing and there's tinkling of water from a little stream yards away. Idyllic. It's always shocking when they read out the substantial list of those killed. So many with the same surname, brothers or father and son, uncles. Sobering.


One note of levity however, after all the somberness, was the terrible rendition of GSTQ. The vicar started it off in the wrong key, changed it at least twice more and it finished in an off-key, out-of-tune dirge. A friend next to me was giggling away, it cheered her up immensely as she's lost a couple of friends in Afghan.

'When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.'


Always make me hold back tears.
 
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Too all who posted thank you where ever you are from.

Great Britain has a beautiful and impressive display for their Remembrance Day. An artist artist came up with the idea to make and display a ceramic red poppy for every British soldier who was killed in WW I. They filled the moat around the Tower of London with the poppies, 880 + thousand poppies makes a very impressive display.

Here is a link with some pictures, it is quite impressive. I especially like the one where tit looks like the battlements are bleeding onto the moat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/29966300

This came from the Vietnam war. I think the message is important.

"All gave some, some gave all."

Every single man and woman who signed on the dotted line not only signed that blank check, but agreed to give up personal liberties and freedoms enjoyed by every other adult, but live under a type of discipline the vast majority of the other citizens will never experience nor understand. So yes, all gave some.

http://somegaveall5k.*********.com/images/Field_Cross_299x389.jpg

For the friend I made, my shipmates and my Comrades in Arms, I shall never forget.

Rick and Chris I still think of you so damn often.
 
My grandfather was a territorial cavalryman and was one on the first, along with George, his favourite horse, to be deployed in 1914. He served in Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine. In August 1919 he was 'disembodied'. But then the army had a change of heart and it was not until May, 1920, that he made it back to The Cotswolds. Here's to you, Granddad.
 
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Too all who posted thank you where ever you are from.

Great Britain has a beautiful and impressive display for their Remembrance Day. An artist artist came up with the idea to make and display a ceramic red poppy for every British soldier who was killed in WW I. They filled the moat around the Tower of London with the poppies, 880 + thousand poppies makes a very impressive display.

Here is a link with some pictures,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/29966300

I was there two weeks ago in London .It was indeed impressive, The 883,000 poppies represented the Brits, Canadians, South Africans, Indians, N. Zedders Aussies and other troops from the then Empire.
 
Thank you to all who have served. We owe you a debt that can never be repaid.
 
A poppy's voice.

We are the Dead. Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.


McCrae.
 
Armistice Day in Australia, Also Poppy day,

The full words of McCrae






In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
 
They shall not grow old
as we who are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning


We Will Remember Them.
 
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