To those past and present who serve in our military, THANK YOU! Our nation owes its peace and prosperity to your service and sacrifice. An extended thank you to the military families who support you.
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
On this Veterans Day . . . there is a pain in my heart and tear in my eye . . . I was committed to a cause for which I would give my life . . . But the pain and the torture of my cause . . . was mostly felt by those around me . . . my salute today is to the MILITARY FAMILY . . . the Wives and Children for they are the unrecognized victims of the Oath of Service.
We who are about to die salute you . . . you who shall mourn us . . . Nay shall my life be in vain . . . So tears should be fast in coming and fast in ending . . . know that my gift to you is everlasting . . . know that though I may be gone . . . life is eternal . . . I shall await you in a better life . . . we are immortal apart and will be again together as immortal.
Good stuff, we do need to keep our priorities in the era of an insolent, ingrateful White House…
“Let us continue to stand for the ideals
for which they lived… and died”
Ronald Reagan Speech: Veterans Day 2010
I will cross post the comment I made at Blackfive, with a paste of the poem I saw there as well.
My Dad (passed away 11/7/2005) was a Navy Vet during Korea. Although both of my parents were democrat as far back as I can remember, they never were anything but proud and loved our military.
We had a gas station just outside of Sheppard Air Force Base and we always appreciated the fact, that without that base, we would be out of business.
I never had a political bone in my body until the day Reagan got shot; at that time, I realized that I loved that man and believed in what he stood for.
I thank all of our vets and wish I could have served, but medical reasons prevented that (although I did try to sneak in a couple of times knowing my chances were slim). Now, what I had then is not something that will keep you from serving, but alas, I am too old.
Thanks again all of you from the bottom of my heart. Sorry for the lengthy post.
In Flanders fields the poppies grow
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.
John MacCrae during the Great War
Reaganite Republican
That was not 2010 I do not think?
jlfintx,
This is a link to a picture of the spot where John MacCrae may very well have written those forever resonating words –
…. ramparts in the embankment along the canal: MacCrae’s Dugout.
. . . IN GRATITUDE.
JR
Thank you for that.
“A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Mike Royko – 1993
I just phoned six friends and asked them what they will be doing on Monday.
They all said the same thing: working.
Me, too.
There is something else we share. We are all military veterans.
And there is a third thing we have in common. We are not employees of the federal government, state government, county government, municipal government, the Postal Service, the courts, banks, or S & Ls, and we don’t teach school.
If we did, we would be among the many millions of people who will spend Monday goofing off.
Which is why it is about time Congress revised the ridiculous terms of Veterans Day as a national holiday.
The purpose of Veterans Day is to honor all veterans.
So how does this country honor them?…
…By letting the veterans, the majority of whom work in the private sector, spend the day at their jobs so they can pay taxes that permit millions of non-veterans to get paid for doing nothing.
As my friend Harry put it:
“First I went through basic training. Then infantry school. Then I got on a crowded, stinking troop ship that took 23 days to get from San Francisco to Japan. We went through a storm that had 90 percent of the guys on the ship throwing up for a week.
“Then I rode a beat-up transport plane from Japan to Korea, and it almost went down in the drink. I think the pilot was drunk.
“When I got to Korea, I was lucky. The war ended seven months after I got there, and I didn’t kill anybody and nobody killed me.
“But it was still a miserable experience. Then when my tour was over, I got on another troop ship and it took 21 stinking days to cross the Pacific.
“When I got home on leave, one of the older guys at the neighborhood bar — he was a World War II vet — told me I was a —-head because we didn’t win, we only got a tie.
“So now on Veterans Day I get up in the morning and go down to the office and work.
“You know what my nephew does? He sleeps in. That’s because he works for the state.
“And do you know what he did during the Vietnam War? He ducked the draft by getting a job teaching at an inner-city school.
“Now, is that a raw deal or what?”
Of course that’s a raw deal. So I propose that the members of Congress revise Veterans Day to provide the following:
– All veterans — and only veterans — should have the day off from work. It doesn’t matter if they were combat heroes or stateside clerk-typists.
Anybody who went through basic training and was awakened before dawn by a red-neck drill sergeant who bellowed: “Drop your whatsis and grab your socks and fall out on the road,” is entitled.
– Those veterans who wish to march in parades, make speeches or listen to speeches can do so. But for those who don’t, all local gambling laws should be suspended for the day to permit vets to gather in taverns, pull a couple of tables together and spend the day playing poker, blackjack, craps, drinking and telling lewd lies about lewd experiences with lewd women. All bar prices should be rolled back to enlisted men’s club prices, Officers can pay the going rate, the stiffs.
– All anti-smoking laws will be suspended for Veterans Day. The same hold for all misdemeanor laws pertaining to disorderly conduct, non-felonious brawling, leering, gawking and any other gross and disgusting public behavior that does not harm another individual.
– It will be a treasonable offense for any spouse or live-in girlfriend (or boyfriend, if it applies) to utter the dreaded words: “What time will you be home tonight?”
– Anyone caught posing as a veteran will be required to eat a triple portion of chipped beef on toast, with Spam on the side, and spend the day watching a chaplain present a color-slide presentation on the horrors of VD.
– Regardless of how high his office, no politician who had the opportunity to serve in the military, but didn’t, will be allowed to make a patriotic speech, appear on TV, or poke his nose out of his office for the entire day.
Any politician who defies this ban will be required to spend 12 hours wearing headphones and listening to tapes of President Clinton explaining his deferments.
Now, deal the cards and pass the tequila.
– Mike Royko
@ Old Trooper
OMG, that is awesome. I’m sending it to both Senators intact. I would send it to my congressman, but he’s too busy worrying if Guam is going to capsize.
jIfintx: thank you SR.
@ Aqua, Mike Royko is a classic. Please share it with the appropriate parties. I am currently in Belgium, NATO HQ. There are Allies, Brits, that celebrate Remembrance Day. They had dinner with me and as I have worked with a few of them, I shared Mike Royko’s piece with them.
After a few drinks and a chorus of “Men of Harlech” and “Scotland the Brave “I read that piece. It was well received. I hope you enjoyed it.
We still have Traditional Allies that pay no attention to the Temporary Resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Traditions last Forever. Presidents have term limits.
Why is there even such a phrase as “HOMELESS VET?”
These 2 words in that order should not be part of a country’s lexicon.
I don’t care much what reason a human being has for donning a uniform. Whether it is to serve the greater good out of patriotism, or because it was a good way to get some education, or it was a threshold out of an impoverished life, DOES NOT MATTER.
NOR DOES IT MATTER whether you served on battlefields, or served meals in a mess hall, or chauffeured a senior officer, . . . if you have worn the uniform, you deserve and should expect the respect and support (emotional, spiritual, medical, and financial) of ALL your countrymen – UNTIL THE END OF YOUR JOURNEY HERE.
Thanks OT, I just got home after 12 hours or so, I worked yesterday on the birthday as well. I feel fortunate to work just to keep paying the bills and to stay in business. I’d work around the clock to keep from going broke, but the work isn’t there any more. Two of my kids called from Canada and wished me happy Vet Day. I reminded them both about the significance of the 11th hour, the 11th day, of the11 th month. Today is more special in Canada because the sacrifices were spread over a much smaller population. That’s just my opinion. I also told them not to forget Pearl Harbor Day. Growing up in my house meant you celebrated traditional holidays.
G-d Bless all the dead vets. G-d Bless the living vets. and G-d Bless you who are committed to this bloodless battle we are now engaged in and from this point on consider yourselves cyber war vets for all time, for our war is desperate and noble. I will raise a glass of wine to all of you in a few minutes.
I read Mike Royko every morning at the race track kitchens in Chicago, for five years during the 70s. I miss Mike.
John Gresham, the first American to fall in the first World War.
John Birch, the first American to fall during the Korean War.
Take care, OT.
James Raider: VERY well said, and i agree that the pain and blood and life has a very high value for any COUNTRY who send their men of all ages to battle the WAR, and if and when they come back, they should have open arms from the leaders and civiliens, and be provided with the best care and place to help them make the transistion back to a better life of hope and success in their near futures, thank you for it.
Number of Vets in Congress goes up in 2010 Midterm election
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/11/number-of-vets-in-congress-goes-up-in-2010-midterm-election.html
😛
Our Allies Remembrance Day , Like Our Memorial and Veterans Day Combined.
They Are Still the Coalition of the Willing
Ceremonies remember Australia’s war dead
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/11/3063327.htm?section=justin
Abide With Me Canada Great Britain Remembrance Day English Hymn
Remembrance Day in Canada
Remembering Canadians Who Fought and Died in War
Remembrance Day Assembly in Canada
Now comments from Senator “Christmas in Cambodia” Dude.
I am very proud to have Served with such Noble and Brave Allies. I completed three Combat Tours in the GWOT. Kerry did not serve to the completion of ONE. Poor Johnny. “Wounded” 3 times but No Disability. He visited a Dining Facility in Iraq though on a CODEL. Denied the success of the surge and visited Kabul to have chai with Karzai to advise on Elections. What a Hero! (SPIT!) Have him take a Navy Cross out of Petty cash!
OLD TROOPER 2: thank you for the videos of remembrance day.
bye