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572651 tn?1530999357

Memorial Day - ways to honor our vets

Here in the US it is Memorial Day, a holiday that has morphed into all sorts of different meanings such as the first day to wear white, swimming pools have opened, and summer has begun.   but Memorial Day still retains  moments of observance in honor of the men and women who have served our country in times of war and peace through the military.

My father is a WWII vet, and will be 90 later this year.  He has had the opportunity to take The Honor Flight to Washington DC to be escorted to the memorials.  If any of you have WWII vets still living, please encourage them to find a local Honor Flight trip.  It is free, and will be a highlight for them.  Everywhere the group went, my dad said stangers came up to him, shook his hand and thanked him for his service.  He was truly moved by the experience.  They were fully escorted - we didn't worry about him a bit because he was never left alone.  They are even taking nursing home residents by gurney on these flights.  

The Smithsonian Channel on cable today is airing a show about the honor flight (several times) if you get a chance to watch it.  

They are also now taking Korean War vets and Vietnam vets who are at the end of their life, to DC.  It is just one small way to repay these vets.

My father was also adopted as a pen pal for a local 8th grade student and on Friday their school had a program/ceremony for their vets.  There were about 70 WWII vets in attendance, and Dad got a big kick out of all the attention and the effort the school put into this program.  He and his student Cody had been writing to each other over the past school year and this was their first face-to-face meeting.  Our daughter took her grandpa and said more than once she was teary eyed over the day.  

This is my long-winded way of saying I hope all of you will take a moment today to honors our vets, both living and gone, for all they have done to keep us free.

Lulu
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1394601 tn?1328032308
I woke and gave my vet a great big kiss and said thank you!
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Avatar universal
thank you for such a wonderful post. my late dad was a korean vet-in fact, i am the result of his return :)

my older son is active army. he is in germany now but will go back to the sandbox for his 4th visit there later this year. he already has heart damage from taking 2 ak rounds to the chest during a firefight. good body armor saved his life but his heart valves are damaged from hydrostatic shock.

how they can send him back i just don't understand. it is scary.

my best wishes and appreciation to all here who have served or had loved ones who served.
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559187 tn?1330782856
I live in the DC area and there are so many ways for us to honor our veterans and our active duty servicmen and women.  There will be a parade this afternoon, but we have a heat advisory so I won't be able to attend.  We also have thousands of motorcyclists who come every year, former veterans and their friends and family,  who participate in a ride through DC.  It is always interesting to see them in all their bike gear coming through.  I talked to a few from a group called "Nam Knights" who were in the Vietnam War.  It is one way for them to pay respect to their fellow soldiers who died in that war.  

I paid my respects for the fallen soldiers yesterday when I went over to Arlington Cemetary.  I have 2 family members buried there.  My great aunt was a nurse during the Battle of the Bulge and served on the surgical team in the combat zone.  I try to go there at least once a year.

Other than that many of us spend the day with family and friends having a BBQ.  I will spend it quietly, inside, probably watching the history channel on TV.  

-Julie
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