[cavtrooper21]

My god-father (may he live forever!!) dropped in Normandy, Market-Garden and over the Rhine. He started the war as a Private and ended as a 1st Lt filling a intell billet...
He's the main reason I went to Jump School and has been my role model since I was a kid...
He'll smack you up side of the head if you refer to him as a "hero" within earshot, but whenever I think of a heroic figure, its him.
He has never spoken much about the war, but we did have a long talk after I came back from the Gulf in '91. He spoke alot that day, and ever since then, I've thanked God on a daily basis the we have men like him on our side.

[freepersup]

Today, an embedded reporter remarked how young the members of the armed forces are, over in Iraq. It's like that in most wars. In studying the clashes of the combat forces during WWII, I find the actions of these heroic young men to be amazing. When I reflect on my personal encounters with these warriors, that have aged into a generation best described as our country's most distinguished senior citizens, I feel as if I am in the presence of royalty.

That's quite a resume your god-father has. It's a common denominator with many veterans of combat, in how they shy away from being referred to as a hero.

'Band of brothers' is more than a great series of dramatic documentaries chronicling troops in combat, it's a bond amongst men in combat forged by baptism under fire. Now, you and your god-father share this knowledge first hand.

A lot of doo doo hit the fan when I was in the military, but the call for deployment into a hostile environment never materialized.

I tip my hat to all of my comrades in arms, past, present, and future. Thank you one and all, for your service and sacrifice.