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.
11 comments:
Yes. Veterans Day is one of our most important holidays. My grandfather was a POW, captured by the Japanese. Obviously, I'm glad he beat the crap out of a few of them and broke from the death march. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here!
So sad for Nick's family. A devastating loss...
My grandfather also never spoke of his time in the pacific theater, and all I know is he played a key roll in The Battle of Midway, but I haven't a clue what his battle duties were, just that he was a cook most of the time. :)
Men know the realities of war and it's brutal. Some like Hemingway, have nightmares when they return. Your post brought back memories of my uncles and my grandfather.
What we have today, we have because of those brave men of yesteryear and today who support their countries.
Most people who served simply don't talk about it. My father served in Korea and he NEVER talked about it. I think that maybe those are ghosts that they would like to leave at rest.
Coming from such a large family, I have too many relatives to list. My dad used to have the same conversations with his brothers, though.
There are several retired servicemen in my family, but they rarely talk about their time in the military. They all deserve our respect, to be sure. God bless them all.
I'm very thankful for those who served. My father is a Vietnam veteran who went during the Tet Offensive. My maternal grandfather was a World War One vet who served in Siberia guarding the RR, and my paternal grandfather was a WWII veteran who fought at the Battle of the Bulge.
God bless our servicemen and women.
My father and my grandfather did not talk about their experiences until each was in the last years of life. God bless them.
My father was also silent on the subject of the war. Later in life, he started going to army reunions and I think that helped him tremendously.
You have some precious memories of your dad and uncle.
I my grandmother's house there was a picture of framed photos on the wall for as long as I can remember. Her sons George, Les, Frank (my dad), and Bill, all in their Army uniforms. The older three all served in the south Pacific in WWII. Bill served in Korea. Thank God, they all came home.
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