The other day I patched up some huge holes in his driveway with my friend's tractor. When he came out to say thanks I told him "you gave me all the thanks I'll ever need in 1944". Made me feel awfully proud to be able to do something for him!
Posted on 05/09/2005 3:21:07 PM PDT by CholeraJoe
This afternoon, I walked into the local convenience store, bar, casino, liquor store, video rental, bait shop and ammo dump, (Hey, I live in Bumfuk, Montana. It's all we've got) and as I walked through the bar, I spotted a grizzled fat guy, with a full gray beard and long gray hair tied back in a ponytail sitting at the end of the bar.
He was wearing a 1st Cavalry Division/Vietnam t-shirt. Since there were no Harleys parked outside, I figured it was safe to approach him. (Anyhow, I was packing as I usually do.)
I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Thank you for your service."
He replied, "Thanks for yours, Sir." I asked,"How did you know I was an Officer?"
He answered, "It shows, Sir." I replied,"GarryOwen." I walked out and cried all the way home.
Our Veterans of all conflicts need and deserve our support.
Check it out.
Ping the Foxhole, they've got to see this.
I have several who are close friends of mine, and have thanked them often.
One of them I've been checking up on, he was in riaq for 2 tours of duty, came back fine, and then a few weeks later, busted his ankle playing softball.
And no, the irony of going to war, getting shot at, coming home okay, and then getting the worst injury of his life hasn't escaped us.
Its been a (bad) joke about us saying if he had hurt his ankle doing something with sports over there, he could have gotten a medal and run for president one day.
His answer, "What do I look like John Kerry?".
THANK YOU!!
Thank you for your service
When I get the opportunity, I thank those currently serving, too.
They tend to be younger than veterans and are more at risk of believing what they see in the "mythical" liberal media.
Ping
Check this out.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately- not just saying thanks but how to say it.
My uncle just died. He was a flyer who spent most of the war in Nazi prison camp. Apparently they were treated decently at first but once we started seriously bombing Germany it got rough, really rough.
You know who he felt bad for? He said over and over "We were lucky, I feel for the guys in Japanese camps."
He went to his grave feeling like the country betrayed the boys in the Japanese camps by making friends with the Japanese and driving Japanese car and watching Japanese TVs.
Now, I've got a generation of younger friends in Iraq, some of them students I used to teach. They know I didn't think we should invade under these circumstances so I try to make damn sure they know they have my support now that they are there for however long it takes and no matter the cost. I don't want them to grow old feeling betrayed.
The other day I patched up some huge holes in his driveway with my friend's tractor. When he came out to say thanks I told him "you gave me all the thanks I'll ever need in 1944". Made me feel awfully proud to be able to do something for him!
My father's an active 84 year old WWII vet from the USAAF in the Pacific. He was the S-1 of an Anti-Aircraft Batallion in the Solomons and the Philippines.
It was around the time of D-Day observances, so stories were running on the TVs at the gates. I sat down next to a very handsome African-American couple who looked to be quite aged - both with silver hair. As the story on D-Day came on, all of us were watching it with intensity. When the clip ended, I looked over and saw a moist eye on the man. I turned to him and said, "you were there, weren't you?" He said "yes, N. Africa." I reached over to shake both their hands and thanked him for what he had done for his countrymen and for freedom.
Thankfully, they called my flight, so I quickly left to get in line. I didn't want the sweet couple to see me a blubbering mess.....
"My uncle just died."
My uncle was 38 in 1941 and he was single and drafted although he was in terrible condition he passed basic training. Latter they lowered the age for the draft to 35 and he could of got out but didn't.
We have a letter that says, "Let me take a bullet for a young guy that has a family."
He died on Christmas Eve 1944 during the Battle Of The Bulge. He is buried in Belgium.
Screw Chrysler.
.
Please hit the "ALOHA RONNIE" on this post...
.
Every truck going to the front was driven by a black man, every round of ammunition was humped by a black man, every K-ration, and every gallon of gasolene was carried by a black quartermaster.
They were as much heroes as the white men who fought on the front lines.
I met some nice youngsters in San Diego Saturday; they'd been to Afghanistan and Iraq. I thanked them for their service.
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