What a great day to remember those who are serving our Country and those who have already served our Country. Especially those who have given their lives for us to live in this amazing free Country.
God Bless them, and their families, and I mean that in the most sincere sense. My prayers are with you.
When I got married in my early 20's my husband Mike was drafted into the Army shortly after we got married. I had two brothers who signed up for the Navy at the time, and my (current) husband Ken, was part of our High School group who also signed up for the Navy.
While we lived off base, my first husband was fortunate to be assigned duty at Ft Lewis here in Washington, for 1 of the 2 years he served.
The second year of his duty he went to Nam. He came home safe and sound, as my brothers did, and Ken did, and many of our friends did. We had very close friends who did not come home safe and alive.
I was in 4-H as a teenager, and we had a club member named Johnny Wolf. Johnny had a little palomino mare, named Cindy. We all loved Johnny Wolf, he was funny, and cute, and the life of the party... well our 4-H party!
He was the only son in a family with 5 sisters. Johnny was also drafted and went to Viet Nam.
He was not there long, before he came back home.
His name is one of those names on the Viet Nam wall. I will never forget Johnny Wolf, and in my mind and heart I see a 18 year old tall thin teenage boy with blond hair, riding his little palomino mare, Cindy.
My father is buried at the National Cemetery in Auburn Washington. He had been a member of the Army Air Corps during WWII. He told us of losing his closest friends in that war, and I know he never forgot them to the day he died.
One of my greatest fears is that our young people may forget what hero's were born and lived in the previous generations, as well as this generation.
My fathers generation is sometimes called the Greatest Generation... I don't doubt that at all, when hearing those amazing stories of WWII.
I fly the American flag in honor of all of them, and feel tingles when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. I really do love America.
Is it only me, or do others feel we are loosing what our Country was founded on.
Like a lobster in a pot turned on to boil... it seems like many are oblivious that our rights are being taken from us a little at a time (maybe not so little at this point).
So, back to the theme of this post. If you have a Veteran in your house, or a member of the Armed Forces... tell them Thank You from Jan. And give them a hug!
Great post, Jan. I agree wholeheartedly on your thoughts about our freedoms being taken from us little by little. This is not the doing of our Veterans or those that will walk in their footsteps but more so by the governing bodies that seek power over all. My husband is an avid reader of anything that dealt with the WW's. He reads because people showed true patriotism and were completely behind any serviceman or woman where as today, political views stand in the way of truly honoring the people who serve. Whether one believes in the wars or not, the fact remains that every day someone walks the line. TO those that do, I am truly proud of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks you for the great read and thank you to the men and the horseman in your family for protecting my freedoms...
Well said Jan! I posted it to my Facebook.
ReplyDeletePeace & Love,
Chrys
Yes well said - I too lost a close high school friend. We visited The Traveling Wall this summer, and did a rubbing of his name, and I had also chaperoned a 4-H trip to Washington several years ago, and our group visited all the monuments. A very heart wrenching visit to the real Wall. Yours is a great post. thanks
ReplyDeleteThats food for thought Jan.
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