Men and women have paid with their lives for the defense of this country, in wars that ranged from being just to being exercises in damned foolishness. Even when they disagreed with the war or its aims, they did their jobs.
I will raise a glass to the memories of my father and most of my uncles, all of whom are gone, now, but who served in World War Two and the Korean War. I will drink to the memory of the son of a shipmate, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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I don't need a tattoo
All three of my grandparents (yes, three) fought in WW2, and are now gone, as are almost all the veterans of that war. While not the last, “just” war, it was certainly the clearest in recent times (excepting, perhaps, the Kuwait portion of Desert Shield/Storm). It seems we still haven’t learned the lessons history offers.
Dad was a loadmaster on C-47's and C-46's in Korea, Uncle was a navigator on B-29's in the 315th BG on Tinian and flew weather missions for the Bomb missions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Heading out to the Vets cemetery today with a bottle of single malt, and a nice 8 dollar ceegar, and listen to the stories......Have a safe and peaceful Memorial Day.
WWII vets are dropped in number at a fast rate. My dad joined the navy in 1944 at age 17 just in time for the highest casualty battle for the navy, Okinawi. He's about the last survivor of his generational cohort.
A pretty tough old cookie, he still lives in his own house and largely "does for himself". Although he denied voting for trump, I'm pretty sure he did, the first real lie I can remember him ever speaking. He is a lifelong Republican while his children are all liberal Democrats. In the past we could mention politics, even during the dread Bush II era. But those days are over, which is genuinely sad. He's been in strict house confinement for months and wishes he could go back to church and choir. But those days may be over too.
He may be a closet trumpite, too ashamed of voting for trump to admit it, and age has certainly hurt his thinking ability. But he's not become so stupid as to follow trump's advice to mingle, take malaria drugs or drink bleach. OTOH I'm betting he votes for trump again.
Memorial day and Veterans day should be switched. November 11 for remembrance of the dead, May 30 to honor the living.
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