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A Soldier...
18 years ago
All,
On this, the eve of Veteran’s Day, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. By way of a brief explanation, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 89 years ago, the “War to End All Wars” (which later became known as the First World War) ended. In 1938, the US Congress passed legislation stating that November 11 would be set aside as a day "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day" both to honor America’s veterans and to remember their sacrifices.
After the Second World War and the Korean Conflict, Congress amended the Armistice Day remembrance and designated November 11th as Veteran’s Day.
For those here in the US and for those abroad therefore, November 11th should be a day of reflection, as a day set aside to thank and honor living veterans who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.
Over this weekend, if you should see someone wearing a hat, a pin or a jacket that shows that he or she served, please say take the time to say “thanks.” The individual spent years, perhaps in some very austere conditions, away from family and home, earning the right to wear it…
I’ll leave you with a short poem by George Skypeck I have hanging here on the wall of my office. Every time I read it, all of the memories and the individuals with whom I served come back to visit…
“I was that which others did not want to be,
I went where others feared to go…
And did what others failed to do.
I asked nothing from those who gave nothing,
And reluctantly accepted the thought
Of eternal loneliness…should I fail.
I have seen the face of terror,
Felt the stinging cold of fear,
And enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment’s love.
I have cried, pained and hoped…
But most of all, I have lived times others
Would say were best forgotten.
At least someday, I will be able to say
That I was proud of what I was… A soldier.”
On this, the eve of Veteran’s Day, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. By way of a brief explanation, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 89 years ago, the “War to End All Wars” (which later became known as the First World War) ended. In 1938, the US Congress passed legislation stating that November 11 would be set aside as a day "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day" both to honor America’s veterans and to remember their sacrifices.
After the Second World War and the Korean Conflict, Congress amended the Armistice Day remembrance and designated November 11th as Veteran’s Day.
For those here in the US and for those abroad therefore, November 11th should be a day of reflection, as a day set aside to thank and honor living veterans who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.
Over this weekend, if you should see someone wearing a hat, a pin or a jacket that shows that he or she served, please say take the time to say “thanks.” The individual spent years, perhaps in some very austere conditions, away from family and home, earning the right to wear it…
I’ll leave you with a short poem by George Skypeck I have hanging here on the wall of my office. Every time I read it, all of the memories and the individuals with whom I served come back to visit…
“I was that which others did not want to be,
I went where others feared to go…
And did what others failed to do.
I asked nothing from those who gave nothing,
And reluctantly accepted the thought
Of eternal loneliness…should I fail.
I have seen the face of terror,
Felt the stinging cold of fear,
And enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment’s love.
I have cried, pained and hoped…
But most of all, I have lived times others
Would say were best forgotten.
At least someday, I will be able to say
That I was proud of what I was… A soldier.”
Cap
Grandfather - U.S.N. / Enlisted WWII (Supply Ships Support, Pacific) / Dec
Cousin - U.S.A. / Active
Father-in-Law - U.S.A. / Enlisted WWII (Japanese Occupation Force) / Ret
Every year I call my brother with the same message, and every year I say the same to any .MIL folk i see, no matter when....
"...thank you."
And thank you!
Cap
Cap
To everyone else I say: never pass up an oportunity to learn something from a vet, especially one from WWI or WWII. I was the only one in my generation of my family whoever tried to learn anything from my Grandpa before his passing; all my other cousins took that opportunity for granted. Don't be the same way as they were.: