For Veteran's day..........

American industry no doubt was a major factor in our ability to succeed in stamping out tyranny abroad. The rate at which American factories turned out war machinery was astounding during WWII.

Photo of the Liberty Belle. Saw the movie Memphis Belle the other night on the military channel.. Good Flick!!

On the other side of the coin, my mother was German and when she was 15-16 years old she lived right smack in the middle of WWII. Her home town was Mannheim, Germany, which was an industrial (factory) town at that time. The Allies bombed the "h*ll" out of that town and destroyed everything. She tells me horror stories how she ran from the streets looking for the nearest bunker, and bombs falling right behind her, just within hair-breath's reach. She survived over and over again, but to listen to her, one has to wonder "how?".

She met my dad when the war ended. My dad was part of the Special Forces group that had to infiltrate those little pockets in German to somehow "inform" everyone the war was over and Germany lost. But eventually little better times came. Dad married Mom in 1948 in Germany and eventually moved within a few miles of my Dad's childhood home in Indiana.

My mother's brother was actually shot with shrapnel and it knocked him out for dead. When he woke up, he was in an America Red Cross POW camp. Unbelievable as this may sound, he was moved to Columbus, Ohio and served the remainder of the war at the POW camp located there. I do believe, and always will, this actually saved his life. He learned to write, read, and speak English when at Columbus, and when the war was over, he was returned home to Germany. He became very successful working for a pharmaceutical manufacturing plan in Mannheim where he eventually retired from. (He died about 15 years ago now).

So yes, we Americans are VERY fortunate we've not seen battle on our own soil, and we've never had to experience our factories, historic sites, and religious centers blown down to nothing but rubble, or scramble, dicker-and-trade your soul away for a bit of left garbage that you might be able to eat.

Almost all of my dad brothers served in WWII and Korea. All of them came back alive. My mother's only brother came back alive (and he was the enemy) for which I am most grateful.

For me, Veterans Day has more than special meaning. Imagine having a mother and father on opposite side of a war. I am just thankful I was not born yet.

For what it's worth, I served in the Army 1982-1988 and had the pleasure of the time period Grenada occurred, but also did my year in Korea and then the political rat-race of Washington D.C.

In addition my Sister and her husband both served during the Vietnam era. My brother-in-law was in Vietnam, my sister was at Fort Lee, Virginia. He returned from Vietnam, stationed at Fort Lee, and somehow they met. They've been married since 1971 now!

My wife's dad was a Marine, her oldest brother was in the Navy, her younger brother was in the Coast Guard, she married an Army Soldier (me) when (I) was in the military. (We were pen-pall when I was stationed in Korea, we've been married 28 years now).

My dad had 5 brothers, all of them served during the WWII and the Korea Era in the Navy and Army. And today all them have have American flags waving over their graves.

My daughter and her husband (both) served in the Navy and had the experience of being "nukes" aboard the USS Eisenhower, floating around in the Persian Gulf a few years ago. Both are civilians now, and have 3 beautiful girls and live in Iowa (as far from the ocean as they can get!

So, when it comes to a topic like this, I have more than just a passing interest. For me, it's more than just what was "spared" in America, I'm also reminded of what was "lost" in Germany every time I see my mother. I'm grateful. My mother is now 90 years old. I see her twice every day for a few moments. She still lives in the house my dad built.

I guess I'm just getting too damned old now myself and too sentimental, or maybe I'm just finally growing up and seeing the world different now.

Yes, be VERY tankful we've not seen these things happen on our own soil!

DutchmenSport:
Great post. Thanks.

Dog Folks wrote:
DutchmenSport:
Great post. Thanks.

Ditto.

Got a little different perspective....born in 1950, brought up in the "cold war" era where we practiced jumping underneath a desk if siren went off to denote a nuclear attack...the Cuban missile crisis, the assassination of a president, and that type of environment with me and a lot of others in here. Graduated from HS in 1968...couldn't vote at 18, but could serve in the military..or get drafted, be killed in a war..but couldn't vote

Viet Nam wasn't a "popular war", back in the late 60's very early 70's, all kinds of protesting going on, people burning their draft cards, burning the American flag, going to Canada to avoid the draft, and on....I had 3 years of college when I decided to join the military in February of 71'...Was married at the time, one child born to us in TX and one in Germany, while I was in Viet Nam.....can remember when I went through an Airport in PA in 72 in dress blues and being spit at and called "baby killer".....I fought in a war thousands of miles away from family and country and never talked about it much except among family and fellow vets...again, it wasn't "popular"...just been past 20 years or so when a Viet Nam Vet was really treated with any dignity at all..not that I care what others thought at the time, nor now....I joined the military because I loved my country and wanted to serve it, it was the way I was brought up...followed orders and ended up in a war....survived and here I am today talking about it , figuring this time, no one will spit on me or call me a baby killer.

I love the Vets who serve and have served our country to protect it to keep our peace and freedom....I still get "teared up" when I hear the national anthem, see our American Flag and see our Vets being honored...many have served, many are serving and a lot have paid the ultimate price so that we can have our freedom here in these United States.

A little different take, but I love my country and would have given my life for it, I was just one of the "lucky one's" that got to come back home....Good to be in the "land of the free" and the "home of the brave" and know that we have Men and Women serving in the military to be proud of and knowing they "have our backs"..

I was USAF, but the Marines say it best: Semper Fi, to all my Veteran Brothers

DutchmenSport wrote:


My mother's brother was actually shot with shrapnel and it knocked him out for dead. When he woke up, he was in an America Red Cross POW camp. Unbelievable as this may sound, he was moved to Columbus, Ohio and served the remainder of the war at the POW camp located there. I do believe, and always will, this actually saved his life. He learned to write, read, and speak English when at Columbus, and when the war was over, he was returned home to Germany. He became very successful working for a pharmaceutical manufacturing plan in Mannheim where he eventually retired from. (He died about 15 years ago now).

I remember my mother who was from Connecticut telling stories about German POW's being there and how the locals used to bring fresh food and meals for them. She said the POW's were treated so well that when the war was over a lot of them did not want to go back to Germany.

Thank you to all our veterans! :C

I served in Viet Nam and the only one who thanked me on my return was an uncle who served one hitch in the marines in WW II and made 7 amphibious landings in the Pacific. He'd been to hell and knew what it was like.

Thanks to all who have sacrificed by serving this country !! I salute you !!