Please check out my post on IWSG blog about ways we can honor them and support some great causes. My father has been gone for almost twenty years. He died a relatively young man after his second bout of cancer. Cancers I really believe resulted from his service in Japan after the bombs. Like so many men of his time, he signed up after Pearl Harbor and went off to defend his home and the young wife he left behind. I'm so grateful he came back.
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| My dad on the right |
My father never spoke of the war except when he was with his older brother, who had also served. My uncle was a hero at the Battle of the Bulge and had many medals. My father and uncle never attended church though they were both very religious men. My uncle would visit my dad on Sunday mornings when everyone else was at church. Except for a little girl who would pretend she was sick every once in a while so she could stay home and listen to their stories. They were amazing remembrances of heroism, fear and the true chaos of war.
We're often told to write what we know. I know I've met real heroes. Men who fought because they must. If I could capture the humble tones in their voices as they spoke of bravery, regret and sorrow and the true costs of war, I'm sure I would be a bestseller. If I could write of such heroes, farmers, factory workers, family men, who risked everything to fight, what a book that would be.
How do you honor on this day? Have you met real heroes? Did you visit IWSG yet?
Please take an extra moment today to visit Kyra Lennon. Many of you have heard of the passing of Andrew, fellow blogger, Nick Wilford, stepson. Kyra is organizing a way to honor Andrew during this difficult time for the family.
