An appreciation thread for all those who have served ....Veterans' Day...November 11, 2009.

[Are_grits_groceries]

My Daddy was in WWII. He landed D-Day +4 with his artillery unit from 'The Old Hickory" division.

He was in until the surrender. That was a very long time.

:patriot:

[Withywindle]

1. Not many Gen Xers like me have had the honor of knowing a WWI vet.

I'm lucky enough that my great-grandfather, who was one, lived well into my teens, and shared many stories.

My grandfather, his son-in-law, had a Purple Heart from WWII. I will always remember his leg brace. I will also remember the fact that, after he passed away in 1993, my grandmother finally shared the photocopies of letters from the family of the GERMAN soldier he personally helped save once. One of those stories that couldn't be shared until long after the war, obviously. My granddad had no Nazi sympathies or anything like that. He just once took an opportunity to help another young man like himself.

My raven tattoo on my arm is, in part, in tribute to both of them, because they were both lifelong Baltimoreans who could recite Poe at the drop of a hat.

:patriot:

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. My Daddy never talked about the war much.

He was slightly wounded when a piece of shrapnel hit one of his fingers. He refused a Purple Heart. He told us that he didn't think that he deserved one just for that.

He never hunted again after he came back from the war. Mama said he would jump at night, and it was because he was hearing those guns going off again. Lord knows what else he went through.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. Hear hear!

As hard as the job looks, it would be nice if it ended up being that easy.