Thanks

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Caustic - yes you are sooooo right.
I was fortunate enough to grow up hearing some of my Dad's stories.
As a little girl (many years back) I read an article that appeared in the Rhode Island News (saved clipping) - telling about how my Dad swam dragging a wounded Soldier across a river.
I said, "Dad, how could you have done that? You can't swim!" He said, "You can do anything with bullets flying over your head".

 

[Caustic Burno]

Caustic - yes you are sooooo right.
I was fortunate enough to grow up hearing some of my Dad's stories.
As a little girl (many years back) I read an article that appeared in the Rhode Island News (saved clipping) - telling about how my Dad swam dragging a wounded Soldier across a river.
I said, "Dad, how could you have done that? You can't swim!" He said, "You can do anything with bullets flying over your head".

Growing up and listening to these men and women made you proud to be an American, had an uncle at Pearl, another made the beach landing's at Iwo Jima and Okanawa one at Normandy. Dad was in the North Atlantic fighting the German U-boats. Four Hundred Thousand Dad's,Uncles,Fathers,Sons, Mother's,Daughter's and Sisters never came home. We lost 25,000 Marines in the battle for Iwo alone.
Mom and my Aunt's were working in the factories supporting the war effort. Scares me to think would Americans today step up to the plate as this generation did. This was a generation that had their priorities right God, Country,family.
We are now losing our WWII vets at 1800 a day.
This was truely the Greatest Generation.

 

[cypressfarms]

This was truely the Greatest Generation.

You're right, but not just because of the people that served. The people that stayed at home played very important parts as well, working in factories making tanks, ships, rationing meat, metal, etc.

We've gotten too soft as a country; now when we are at war - which we still are - a big part if the public just sees it as a something going on overseas. WWII was going on everywhere. Now we have protesters (American citizens) spewing hate about the American govt.'s involvement in the war. If this were 1941-1945, these people doing this today would be ashamed of their behavior. Sometimes remembering that we've lost a lot of vets isn't enough - you have to walk the walk as an everyday citizen as well....

 

[dun]

I don;t know if it's being done anywhere else, but there is a deal that flys WWII vets from Sprignfield to the WWII memorial in DC for a day then returns them. It's all free to the vet.

 

[farmwriter]

Dun I know of several Honor Flights that have been done in towns within an hour or so of our place.
A friend of mine who accompanied some of the soldiers on one trip said two were seated on a bench together and showed me a photo of a young woman seated between them. My friend said she had a thick accent, and asked the men about their service. Not even born here, she hugged the two men and told them how grateful she was to come to America and make a better life. Said the men answered lots of questions for her, even though they had a hard time understanding some of what she said. Really touched my heart.

 

[alftn]

Who on here is a Vet????????

I was in USMC 1976 to 1982, Hq Batt 2nd bat, 10 marine reg.

Mos 0849, F.O. Navel Gunfire