Modern Vespa

So I am not a veteran, just got lucky as they stopped the Viet Nam draft just before I would have been drafted. But our veterans are the most amazing people, hard to believe what they have had to go through for all of us. Perhaps I am a bit premature as Memorial Day is tomorrow....but I don't think we can applaud our Vets too much, so lets all just say THANK YOU to our vets and try to remember the ones who did not make it. I watch John McCain and (accept I am a democrat) he is someone who just impresses the hell out of me. I am not making this political at all so please don't shut this down, I just want to send my thanks to those that have served. Many of the people I work with are Vets and their stories just break your heart. I hope all have a great weekend.


Larry

I applaud all veterans and I will put my money where my mouth is. Veteran healthcare and housing is something this country overlooks while the powers that be wave a flag. Fund programs that help vets when they come back home.

I never served myself but my father served in Vietnam and both my grandfathers were in WWII. One of my grandfathers came back with severe PTSD, but then they called it "shell shocked". He was never again able to connect with another human being on an emotional level.

I speak for these veterans in my family and not for myself or other veterans, although I am very empathetic.

Thanks.
It was, however, my great privilege to tend the wounded in Vietnam as an Army medic.
Politics were for those with more leisure time, and energy.
We were all tired - all the time.
O.S.

I'm pretty close to you in age, Larry. I had a draft number...13. Cancelled the draft, thankfully. Vietnam war wasn't so popular by then, but I was just glad it was over. Eventually I realized the profound experience many veterans have had, and the sacrifices made, particular for those who paid with their lives. It's not about the popularity of war, it's the human experience to me. I think not just of those who've paid the ultimate sacrifice, but their families as well.

My family has been fortunate. More than a few in uniform, but timing kept most of them out of war. Ironically, I had a great uncle who served in WW2, returned home and drowned in the river in his hometown. Go figure.

my father , my step father, my father-in-law, all soldiers, all brave men. I am a surgeon and two of my older and sadly departed partners were both in WWII. One of them was on Pearl when it was bombed, the stories he told were incredible. The Hospital that I trained at, and spent many of my years at, Michael Reese Hospital, in Chicago, placed a complete medical unit in Europe for the war. I knew most of the Docs and nurses who served in it. Both of my partners were in it. It was a highly decorated unit. One of my patients, whose father was a Doc in that unit, wrote a book about the unit with illustrations and many stories and a list of all the people from Michael Reese who served there. She gave me a copy that I have sent to many people and it is a book that I cherish. We need to honor all of those brave people and screw all the stupid politics that we are seeing now.


larry

To those who went before us, to those who will follow us, but more so to those who'd fallen and those who fell by our sides.

"To absent companions..."

Closest I've come to any of this is a school friend who, unbeknownst at the time was a few years older than me...old enough to have returned from Vietnam. Never said a word of it until I saw him at a school function (he'd stayed on to become dean of students, IIRC). Saw a purple heart on his lapel and asked him about it. Turns out he was 9th Marines, designated the Walking Dead for their high killed/wounded stats. He was the only survivor of his original platoon. Somehow managed to escape pretty much unscathed both physically and mentally.

Hat off to Dan, but this Memorial Day is for the other 11.

My daughter's Amercan history teacher asked me to speak to his class two weeks ago. 3 other Vietnam vets were on the panel.
All 3 were grandfathers of students...not me....the kids were a little taken aback that I'm her father.(youngest of our 6 kids)
It was the first time my daughter had heard me talk of being a medic in Vietnam.
No Rambo stories...no actual combat vet tells 'em. That's how you can tell...
I was a conscientious objector - which meant that I neither carried, nor had any weapons training. Fellow grunts only cared that you knew your stuff when things got real noisy. I did.
Best year of my life in many ways.
O.S.

Thanks for all you've done and will still do O.S.

Inspiring to say the least.

Happy Memorial Day to all of you who have lost loved ones in the military service of our country, and those of you who knew and remember them.

For those who sacrificed themselves protecting our principals or defending others, I am truly grateful.

Happy Memorial Day and may we not forget.

In memory of both my parents,,,both ww2 vets.

A hearty thank you to everyone that served. My dad flew a plane in the Berlin airlift. While i would of gone in a a officer i'd come out as a enlisted person. I don't do well with people telling me what to do. However i was in a war but not in the military. When the Gulf war broke out i was in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. The company would send us home if we wanted to go. I stayed because I figured my burn expertise would be needed. I sent my household stuff home and i stayed. Didn't get much sleep compliments of at least 5 air raid sirens going off everyday. Had a couple of burns from working on equipment. Thankfully it was a short war.

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As a reminder.
(From a retired Navy guy)
Please reserve Memorial Day sentiments to those that served but never returned.
Veterans Day is for those that served and returned home.
Armed Forces Day is for those still serving.

Sorry did not really know the differences but I do sort of feel anytime we can remember and honor the vets, whether they returned or not, or are still serving, is probably a good thing, I do not feel they get enough of that, just my opinion, and thank you for your service