18 Comments on “And Now, A Highly Informal Note on Veterans Day”

1. Funerals are never easy, military funerals … sigh. Both parents are buried at Arlington for their military service. Uncle served. Great great uncle went to Canada to fight in WW I.

   To ask someone to stand in harm’s way is to ask much.

2. Remembering my father this Veteran’s Day – PFC. George T. Huff. U.S. Army, WWII. North Africa, Sicily, Anzio Beachhead, the Battle of Rome, and POW at Stalag VIIB. Rest in peace.

3. You’re welcome.

   MC
   (US Army 1968-1977)

4. John, thanks for the picture & the link. Excellent story, no politics, just, “Thanks.”

5. Many thanks, veterans. Many, many thanks.

6. My daughter says it best. She is a medic in the Army with one tour in Iraq, now stationed at Ft. Bliss. –
   I am a Veteran, and a Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life. Regardless of personal political views, that is an Honor, and a fact. I love my country and I am very proud of being a veteran serving in the United States Army!

7. Remembering my own special Veteran, Sgt. Wayne B. Gillaspie, USMC / Korea. His Silver Star and Purple Heart came after he crawled out of his hole and drug the wounded and dead from his patrol away from the guns aimed their direction. Some of them lived long enough to come to his funeral a few years back and tell the story that wasn’t on the Silver Star citation.

   When I told the old man I was joining the service after my freshman year in college, all he said was ‘don’t join the Navy.’ Salty.

   To a ‘resting’ Marine and those still in the smoke, we owe you.

   Another pfc (US Army 1974-19976

8. At 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918 the armistice ending World War I was enacted. Today is the day The United States honors all of the men and women who have served in the armed forces during wartime.

   Please find a moment today to remember and thank our Veterans!

   and to any Veterans reading- Thank you

9. I salute all those who have stepped forward and served our country.

10. KenS@6:

    You daughter is a very wise woman.

    It is very sad that we are losing our veterans at the rate of some 300 a day now but I take heart in the fact they are mostly dying of old age and lived long enough to see their efforts and those of the ones who didn’t come back were not in vain.

    Let us pray that we continue to bury many more old veterans than combat casualties. It will mean that our leaders realize the value of all those blank checks and elect NOT to cash them.

    Today I salute the fallen and all my fellow veterans.

11. Told my 27 yr old son “Happy Veterans Day” today. He was USMC infantry and served two tours of duty in Iraq on the Syrian border. He is now going to college on GI Bill and deservedly so. I asked him if he had joined any local VFWs yet and he replied that he was WAY too young to do that.

12. Thanks, Spirit03, she’s a Texas gal thru and thru.
    When I was a kid, I used to mow the grass at our local VFW. After I was done, the vets would treat me to a Coke and let me listen as they relived their experiences. It was sobering for a 10-12 year old.
    The thing that I remember most was a comment by one of the Vets that the goal of the VFW was to become extinct.

13. Thanks for sharing the story, as well as providing e-copies of a few of your novels to me and other servicemen.

    I took part in several military military funerals. It was always an honor, but hearing “Taps” always choked me up, and that made it hard to present the folded flag to the family afterwards.

    Being a veteran, I’m always humbly surprised when someone thanks me for serving. Being a veteran, I feel an almost instant bond with any other veteran I meet.

14. “You’re welcome; it was an honor and a privilege” is what I’ve adopted as my reply. Thank you to my brothers and sisters in arms, too. Semper Fi ! Speaking of which …

    Today’s the last day of Soldier’s Angel’s Valour-IT fundraiser; they give voice-controlled laptops and other such tools to those currently recovering from wounds. There’s a competition between the services to raise the most money (it all goes into the same pot for spending, the contest is just for bragging rights.) I’d prefer, of course, that you gave to the Marine Team, but any of the others is OK, or there’s even a non-team slot to donate to.

    http://soldiersangels.org/fundraiser.html

    (Hope this isn’t objectionable, John; if it is, please strike it, and accept my apology. htom)

15. There were 30 000 people out in Ottawa this morning at the National War Memorial. Given that only federal civil servants had the day off, and each of the former cities that now make up great Ottawa each have their own ceremonies, as do many schools, universities, etc., that’s a really impressive number (something less than 4% of the population of the city standing on a three block stretch of a street!).

    I’ve been the last number of years, and always to the small gathering in front of the library in my small home town before I moved to the big city.

16. Last May I marched in Commencement at our College. I don’t usually, I had some long standing students ask me if I would for the ocasion of their graduation. Durring commencement there was a mention of giving thanks to our veterans and would all of the veterans in the croud stand and be recognised. As I stood there, I looked areond and noticed that there was about twenty of us in the entire croud of several thousand, students, faculty, and parrents & guests included. It was a really strange feeling.

    Most veterans that I have met would tell you no thanks are necessary. Most of us served for the simple reason that someone had to and why not us? I lost about fourty percent of my hearing and gained a permant ring, but earned a chance at a college education, which is not a bad trade in the eyes of a dirt poor Indiana boy. Every veteran I have ever spoke to has a similar story as to why they did what they did.

    Instead of spending today thanking veterans like myself, please spend today and every other day enjoying America.
    This is our gift to you.
    It’s paid for.

    David W. Huss BS, MA
    Ssg. Co. C 2/152 Mechanized Infantry
    U.S. Army 1983-1991

17. I cast an informed ballot on election day and I don’t evade jury duty. This is the least I can do considering the price paid for these rights.
    Thank you.

18. Rembrant @17: thank you for having the right attitude about jury duty.

    Today i’m remembering my clients who were veterans, and died well before their time. I’m honored that I got to thank many of them for their service.