Which Veteran Will You Remember On Veteran's Day?
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Which Veteran Will You Remember On Veteran's Day?
Which Veteran Will You Remember On Veteran's Day?
I will remember my Grandfather. In the two minutes of silence. The eleventh month, the eleventh day, the eleventh hour. My Grandfather, a man who sent many souls to heaven, before he saved many souls.
Fort Hood, Texas? The gunman there last week said, "I am Muslim first, American second." As he opened fire on innocent American military he shouted, "Allahu Akbar" - God is great!
My grandfather, as a young man, arrived in British Columbia, Canada from Belfast, Ireland in 1910 and felt he was answering God's call to become a minister in the Presbyterian Church, (the United Church wasn't formed until after the union with the Methodists and Congregationalist in1925). My grandfather enrolled then in Theology college. In 1914, when W.W.I broke out, calls for volunteers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force went out. Thirteen of the 14 members of my grandfather's class volunteered. My grandfather, with extremely poor vision, was tested for his eyesight and subsequently rejected. His eyesight was too poor to fight in a war, so he was sent home.
However, my grandfather was motivated to go to war, so he obtained a copy of the standard eye chart, took it home and memorized it. After memorizing the eye chart, he went back on a different day to apply to be accepted. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, he was then accepted to fight in W.W.I. Off he went.
He went to France, to the frontlines and when he arrived, while bullets were blazing he called out, "There is a problem, I can not see more than one foot before me!" The Sergeant at that time said, "That's okay, then we'll give you a Lewis machine gun. You don't need to see more than one foot before you. Just keep it loaded and keep it swinging!"
After much success sending souls prematurely to heaven, my grandfather then rose to become Sergeant in charge of a section of a platoon. That platoon became part of the newly-formed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the PPCLI, named for one of the contemporary royal princesses. The PPCLI exist even today as part of the Canadian Forces. Obviously, he was very proud of his membership in that regiment; so much so, that his first born was named Patricia, my Aunt Pat. For this my Grandfather earned six medals and ribbons which he brought home with him.
Grandfather never said much about the effects of the machine gun on enemy troops, only that they were one of the "modern" weapons which helped lead to some of the horrendous casualties in W.W.I. Grandfather served in France from 1915 until the war's end November 11, 1918 - which was originally called Armistice Day. In America it is now referred to as Veteran's Day, while in Canada it is called Remembrance Day.
During those years he lost or saw severely wounded several of his closest friends. Ironically, however, he said he was on leave in Dublin when the Easter Rebellion occurred in 1916, and, while there,on his way to visit his relatives in Belfast, wearing the Canadian Army uniform which was identical to that of the British Army, he said he was more frightened than he had ever been in France because he couldn't tell where the "enemy" was. (Shades of the modern day guerilla wars.) My grandfather never expressed anything but admiration for the soldiers of the German Army. One story that might illustrate that was after a German pilot who had been strafing the Canadians was shot down in a field near the Canadian positions, the German pilot climbed out of his wrecked plane, and rather than surrendering, pulled his pistol and started to fire at the Canadians. At that, the Canadians gave him a warm welcome.
For his years of service, my Grandfather received several campaign medals, and, of course, an honorable discharge.
Grandfather was also very proud of his Scottish heritage. He told the story of finishing a 20 mile march back to the front under full pack, but towards the end, the weary troops were greeted by a piper, and completed the march with much lighter hearts.
Today, we hear about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; in W.W.I, it was "battle fatigue" or "shell shock," and whatever all the circumstances affecting my Grandfather, he didn't immediately complete his theology studies until 1921 or 22. One incident he did report was, on a quiet Sunday night in the early evening in Vancouver's West End, he found himself lying flat on the pavement following the firing of the Nine O'clock Gun. A tradition that continues to this day. Every single day in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the Nine O'clock Gun (a cannon) fires. This sound instinctively caused my Grandfather repeatedly to "hit the deck".
Still, when W.W. II began in 1939, at age 54, Grandfather volunteered to become a chaplain. The Army politely declined, suggesting there would be honourable work to be done at home. Unfortunately, as the casualties overseas mounted, the Army was right: many members of his congregation in Kimberley, BC suffered losses of family members.
My Grandfather represents the type of person of those years, in the years before the great disillusionments, of the sixties who believed in being part of a "Great Cause:" the "War to End Wars."
He died in 1951, age 66, of the effects of what doctors in 1940 had called
a "tired heart." Partly a casualty of war? Who knows?
What about now? What have we been spending in IRAQ?
U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ
Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $800 billion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through mid-2009, including $76 billion requested by President Obama and approved by Congress.
U.S. 2009 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $7.3 billion as of Oct 2009
U.S. 2008 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $12 billion
U.S. Spending per Second - $5,000 in 2008 (per Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on May 5, 2008)
Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000 (Congressional Research Service)
Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles.
Missing - $1 billion in tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces. (Per CBS News on Dec 6, 2007.)
Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings
Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion
Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion
Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem "questionable or supportable" - $3.2 billion
Number of major U.S. bases in Iraq - 75
One day. Do you think one day we can all remember enough to wish for peace?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKhIJfB510
>>
I will remember my Grandfather. In the two minutes of silence. The eleventh month, the eleventh day, the eleventh hour. My Grandfather, a man who sent many souls to heaven, before he saved many souls.
Fort Hood, Texas? The gunman there last week said, "I am Muslim first, American second." As he opened fire on innocent American military he shouted, "Allahu Akbar" - God is great!
My grandfather, as a young man, arrived in British Columbia, Canada from Belfast, Ireland in 1910 and felt he was answering God's call to become a minister in the Presbyterian Church, (the United Church wasn't formed until after the union with the Methodists and Congregationalist in1925). My grandfather enrolled then in Theology college. In 1914, when W.W.I broke out, calls for volunteers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force went out. Thirteen of the 14 members of my grandfather's class volunteered. My grandfather, with extremely poor vision, was tested for his eyesight and subsequently rejected. His eyesight was too poor to fight in a war, so he was sent home.
However, my grandfather was motivated to go to war, so he obtained a copy of the standard eye chart, took it home and memorized it. After memorizing the eye chart, he went back on a different day to apply to be accepted. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, he was then accepted to fight in W.W.I. Off he went.
He went to France, to the frontlines and when he arrived, while bullets were blazing he called out, "There is a problem, I can not see more than one foot before me!" The Sergeant at that time said, "That's okay, then we'll give you a Lewis machine gun. You don't need to see more than one foot before you. Just keep it loaded and keep it swinging!"
After much success sending souls prematurely to heaven, my grandfather then rose to become Sergeant in charge of a section of a platoon. That platoon became part of the newly-formed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the PPCLI, named for one of the contemporary royal princesses. The PPCLI exist even today as part of the Canadian Forces. Obviously, he was very proud of his membership in that regiment; so much so, that his first born was named Patricia, my Aunt Pat. For this my Grandfather earned six medals and ribbons which he brought home with him.
Grandfather never said much about the effects of the machine gun on enemy troops, only that they were one of the "modern" weapons which helped lead to some of the horrendous casualties in W.W.I. Grandfather served in France from 1915 until the war's end November 11, 1918 - which was originally called Armistice Day. In America it is now referred to as Veteran's Day, while in Canada it is called Remembrance Day.
During those years he lost or saw severely wounded several of his closest friends. Ironically, however, he said he was on leave in Dublin when the Easter Rebellion occurred in 1916, and, while there,on his way to visit his relatives in Belfast, wearing the Canadian Army uniform which was identical to that of the British Army, he said he was more frightened than he had ever been in France because he couldn't tell where the "enemy" was. (Shades of the modern day guerilla wars.) My grandfather never expressed anything but admiration for the soldiers of the German Army. One story that might illustrate that was after a German pilot who had been strafing the Canadians was shot down in a field near the Canadian positions, the German pilot climbed out of his wrecked plane, and rather than surrendering, pulled his pistol and started to fire at the Canadians. At that, the Canadians gave him a warm welcome.
For his years of service, my Grandfather received several campaign medals, and, of course, an honorable discharge.
Grandfather was also very proud of his Scottish heritage. He told the story of finishing a 20 mile march back to the front under full pack, but towards the end, the weary troops were greeted by a piper, and completed the march with much lighter hearts.
Today, we hear about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; in W.W.I, it was "battle fatigue" or "shell shock," and whatever all the circumstances affecting my Grandfather, he didn't immediately complete his theology studies until 1921 or 22. One incident he did report was, on a quiet Sunday night in the early evening in Vancouver's West End, he found himself lying flat on the pavement following the firing of the Nine O'clock Gun. A tradition that continues to this day. Every single day in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the Nine O'clock Gun (a cannon) fires. This sound instinctively caused my Grandfather repeatedly to "hit the deck".
Still, when W.W. II began in 1939, at age 54, Grandfather volunteered to become a chaplain. The Army politely declined, suggesting there would be honourable work to be done at home. Unfortunately, as the casualties overseas mounted, the Army was right: many members of his congregation in Kimberley, BC suffered losses of family members.
My Grandfather represents the type of person of those years, in the years before the great disillusionments, of the sixties who believed in being part of a "Great Cause:" the "War to End Wars."
He died in 1951, age 66, of the effects of what doctors in 1940 had called
a "tired heart." Partly a casualty of war? Who knows?
What about now? What have we been spending in IRAQ?
U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ
Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $800 billion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through mid-2009, including $76 billion requested by President Obama and approved by Congress.
U.S. 2009 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $7.3 billion as of Oct 2009
U.S. 2008 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $12 billion
U.S. Spending per Second - $5,000 in 2008 (per Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on May 5, 2008)
Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000 (Congressional Research Service)
Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles.
Missing - $1 billion in tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces. (Per CBS News on Dec 6, 2007.)
Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings
Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion
Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion
Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem "questionable or supportable" - $3.2 billion
Number of major U.S. bases in Iraq - 75
One day. Do you think one day we can all remember enough to wish for peace?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKhIJfB510
>>
Last edited by eva on Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:10 pm; edited 2 times in total
eva- Posts: 8339
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Which Veteran Will You Remember On Veteran's Day? :: Comments
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:01 am by Cali
(An open letter to Mister President Bush)
My Daddy Won’t Be Back
Do you know my Daddy is dead?
So… do you truly even care?
You should know all about him
You sent him to fight over there
My Daddy is not coming back
Not ever, because he is no more
You sent him to fight in Iraq
I hate that stinking rotten war
You can have that folded flag back
My Dad was not supposed to die
Take it, Mister President, Sir
Nope, I don’t want it, that’s no lie
Did you think that was a cool deal
A flag, in place of my Dad, no sir-ree
He said he’d be here for my birthday
That he would come back home to me
I don't want those medals either
Those DEATH medals that you sent
They just look so cold and scary
My Daddy’s dead is what they meant
I just feel sick when I think about it
‘Cause the enemy hurt him really bad
The Army doctors couldn’t save him
It’s just so awful about my Dad
It’s like those bullets hit me too
I’ve got a big dark hole inside
I hate this stinking rotten war
I won’t forget how Daddy died
I still have his old blue tee shirt
That he wore before he went
And I won’t never ever wash it
‘Cause it still has Daddy’s scent
I keep it safe under my mattress
I keep it hidden out of sight
So part of Daddy’s there for me
When I wake up scared at night
I hate this stinking rotten war
‘Cause it made my Daddy dead
And I hear Mommy cry at night
When she thinks I’m asleep in bed
I miss him so much, I really do
And I keep feeling really sad
I can’t never watch the ball games
Without thinking ‘bout my Dad
We used to go fishing a lot
Now all I have is his best pole
I just know I can’t never go back
To our old favorite fishing hole
I wish it was just a bad bad dream
That I’ll wake up and find him there
Reading the morning newspaper
In his favorite old easy chair
Now only the dog sits in that chair
That’s in front of the fireplace
Sometimes I kneel there by the dog
And he licks the tears off my face
They tell me to be brave and strong
But I’m too little to act like a man
I want to help my Mommy too
But I always cry before I can
Since this stupid war was your idea
You should go and fight over there
‘Cause you said my Daddy had to go
And now he’s dead, it’s so not fair
Did you know, Mister President, Sir?
There’s lots more little kids like me
Who have to grow up always missing
Moms and Dads they won’t never see
I hate this rotten stinking war
It don’t look like it will ever end
It killed the nicest, greatest Dad
And he was my most special friend
When I get off of the school bus
I see Mom waiting in our yard
She keeps telling me be careful
And she hugs me much too hard
We can't live here at the base no more
We don't belong, but it's just not right
Have to make room for another soldier
That you can train and send off to fight
I’ll be in a new state and a new school
We have to move in with my Granddad
That was also his son you sent to die
The one and only son that he ever had
Well, you can’t send Granddad off to die
He’s too old to fight your stupid war
He’s not much fun either, not now
Since his son, my Daddy, is no more
(I also mourn, not just for the vets, but for all the children who will grow up without their dads.)
My Daddy Won’t Be Back
Do you know my Daddy is dead?
So… do you truly even care?
You should know all about him
You sent him to fight over there
My Daddy is not coming back
Not ever, because he is no more
You sent him to fight in Iraq
I hate that stinking rotten war
You can have that folded flag back
My Dad was not supposed to die
Take it, Mister President, Sir
Nope, I don’t want it, that’s no lie
Did you think that was a cool deal
A flag, in place of my Dad, no sir-ree
He said he’d be here for my birthday
That he would come back home to me
I don't want those medals either
Those DEATH medals that you sent
They just look so cold and scary
My Daddy’s dead is what they meant
I just feel sick when I think about it
‘Cause the enemy hurt him really bad
The Army doctors couldn’t save him
It’s just so awful about my Dad
It’s like those bullets hit me too
I’ve got a big dark hole inside
I hate this stinking rotten war
I won’t forget how Daddy died
I still have his old blue tee shirt
That he wore before he went
And I won’t never ever wash it
‘Cause it still has Daddy’s scent
I keep it safe under my mattress
I keep it hidden out of sight
So part of Daddy’s there for me
When I wake up scared at night
I hate this stinking rotten war
‘Cause it made my Daddy dead
And I hear Mommy cry at night
When she thinks I’m asleep in bed
I miss him so much, I really do
And I keep feeling really sad
I can’t never watch the ball games
Without thinking ‘bout my Dad
We used to go fishing a lot
Now all I have is his best pole
I just know I can’t never go back
To our old favorite fishing hole
I wish it was just a bad bad dream
That I’ll wake up and find him there
Reading the morning newspaper
In his favorite old easy chair
Now only the dog sits in that chair
That’s in front of the fireplace
Sometimes I kneel there by the dog
And he licks the tears off my face
They tell me to be brave and strong
But I’m too little to act like a man
I want to help my Mommy too
But I always cry before I can
Since this stupid war was your idea
You should go and fight over there
‘Cause you said my Daddy had to go
And now he’s dead, it’s so not fair
Did you know, Mister President, Sir?
There’s lots more little kids like me
Who have to grow up always missing
Moms and Dads they won’t never see
I hate this rotten stinking war
It don’t look like it will ever end
It killed the nicest, greatest Dad
And he was my most special friend
When I get off of the school bus
I see Mom waiting in our yard
She keeps telling me be careful
And she hugs me much too hard
We can't live here at the base no more
We don't belong, but it's just not right
Have to make room for another soldier
That you can train and send off to fight
I’ll be in a new state and a new school
We have to move in with my Granddad
That was also his son you sent to die
The one and only son that he ever had
Well, you can’t send Granddad off to die
He’s too old to fight your stupid war
He’s not much fun either, not now
Since his son, my Daddy, is no more
(I also mourn, not just for the vets, but for all the children who will grow up without their dads.)
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:25 am by FystyAngel
Wow, the tears that fell reading this blog, (and your response as well Cali) I can almost not type. I don't have words to add (because I can hardly see 
) but I would like to add a video that also brings tears to my eyes, each time I watch & hear it. HUGS TO ALL & PRAYERS FOR PEACE.
Last edited by FystyAngel on Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
) but I would like to add a video that also brings tears to my eyes, each time I watch & hear it. HUGS TO ALL & PRAYERS FOR PEACE.Last edited by FystyAngel on Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:33 am by khintx
Thanks, eva, for sharing such a personal story. kh
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:57 pm by sitemama
I was born in May, 1941 and just after Pearl Harbor my dad joined the navy. The following summer, my uncle was drafted into the army. I have a picture of my uncle, in his dress uniform, holding me when he was home on leave before being sent overseas. He stepped on a land mine 6 months after arriving there. I remember the soldiers coming to my grandmother's house to tell her he had died, in 1944.
After the war ended, his body, or what was left of it was returned to the USA and we were able to have a funeral for him. My grandmother had the casket brought to her house and it was placed in the living room and 2 soldiers stood guard, one at each end of the casket the entire time.
I was about 5 or 6 years old when we had the funeral, but I still remember it to this day. I loved the taps they played, but the guns firing really scared me. Even as young as I was, I will never forget that day.
God bless all of you who have lost a loved one or family member to war. This war we are in now is not the first, and I'm sure it will not be the last. We have had lots of wars and lots and lots of people lost, but I have come to believe that is just part of life. We must fight to keep our freedoms, and also to help other countries that are oppressed to gain their freedom.
God Bless America, and all those who fight to defend us.
After the war ended, his body, or what was left of it was returned to the USA and we were able to have a funeral for him. My grandmother had the casket brought to her house and it was placed in the living room and 2 soldiers stood guard, one at each end of the casket the entire time.
I was about 5 or 6 years old when we had the funeral, but I still remember it to this day. I loved the taps they played, but the guns firing really scared me. Even as young as I was, I will never forget that day.
God bless all of you who have lost a loved one or family member to war. This war we are in now is not the first, and I'm sure it will not be the last. We have had lots of wars and lots and lots of people lost, but I have come to believe that is just part of life. We must fight to keep our freedoms, and also to help other countries that are oppressed to gain their freedom.
God Bless America, and all those who fight to defend us.
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:20 pm by Piper
God Bless all those that fight to defend our great country. My eyes welled with tears at the Fort Hood Memorial Service today. These are some very special stories you all have told today.
My great-grandfather fought in the American Civil War.
He enlisted in October 1862, Private in the 13th Kentucky Calvary. My mother never knew her grandfather, as she was not born until 1937. No one ever knew where he was buried until some 10 years ago. A family had inherited some mountaintop land and a curious young boy started finding stones, with names hand etched in them, under heavy growth of thick brush and trees. He spent years clearing out this area. Come to find out, two of the soldiers buried there were this young man’s ancestors, on top of this mountain, along with my great-grandfather and 4 other soldiers. He took the time to research and contact the other families some years ago. In May of 2006 there was a dedication to these soldiers. Confederate monuments were placed and dedicated to these soldiers high on this mountaintop.
Mind you, Eastern KY mountain folk were not slave owners, they were coal miners. Below are several pictures of the ceremony and dedication of the grave markers from May 2006, bagpipes, cannon and all. This was very special for my mother. I think it's pretty rare to have a living granddaughter of a civil war soldier among us.
[img]
Last edited by Piper on Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:23 pm; edited 2 times in total
My great-grandfather fought in the American Civil War.
He enlisted in October 1862, Private in the 13th Kentucky Calvary. My mother never knew her grandfather, as she was not born until 1937. No one ever knew where he was buried until some 10 years ago. A family had inherited some mountaintop land and a curious young boy started finding stones, with names hand etched in them, under heavy growth of thick brush and trees. He spent years clearing out this area. Come to find out, two of the soldiers buried there were this young man’s ancestors, on top of this mountain, along with my great-grandfather and 4 other soldiers. He took the time to research and contact the other families some years ago. In May of 2006 there was a dedication to these soldiers. Confederate monuments were placed and dedicated to these soldiers high on this mountaintop.
Mind you, Eastern KY mountain folk were not slave owners, they were coal miners. Below are several pictures of the ceremony and dedication of the grave markers from May 2006, bagpipes, cannon and all. This was very special for my mother. I think it's pretty rare to have a living granddaughter of a civil war soldier among us.
[img]
Last edited by Piper on Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:23 pm; edited 2 times in total
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:03 pm by Cali
Piper, that is amazing. The Civil War has been made more real by movies, and GWTW was just a fictional tale with romance and war. Other war movies followed, but the in reality there is nothing romantic about war. Each side believed that they were on the right side of those old battles, which cost so many lives. Now your great-grandfather has a monument and has become a visible part of history.
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:17 pm by Cali
Eva, your grandfather fought in some of the most horrific battles, and he probably took some of the worst, "too hard to share" memories with him to his grave. He was a hero, and to witness some of those battles and be there as his buddies died must have been vivid memories that he could not erase. I too am inclined to believe that he died of a war-weary heart.
on Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:34 pm by Cali
Sitemama...we're fairly close in age...I was born in '37. My memories of WW II are still clinging to my old cluttered brain. I remember blackout shades, hearing the air raid wardens shouting "lights out" or whatever, and we immediately had to douse all the lights and pull down those shades that had a dark dark green covering on the sides facing the windows. I still remember once when it was bath time, and then the warning sirens started, and out went the bathroom light. I remember collecting tin foil from cigarette packs, and bringing it to school for the war. Also, there were ration coupons, and sugar was one of them, thus bubblegum ceased to be, and when it finally came back, the Fleers Double Bubble in the comics wrapper was never as good as it was. No member of my family was in the military during that time.
I have attended military ceremonies on Veteran's Day, and found nothing more mournful or tear-inducing as when Taps was sounded by the bugler. Sad facts of life.
I have attended military ceremonies on Veteran's Day, and found nothing more mournful or tear-inducing as when Taps was sounded by the bugler. Sad facts of life.
on Wed Nov 11, 2009 12:17 am by Cali
I wrote the poem, "My Daddy Won't Be Back" a few years ago. It was born out of a visual memory that haunted me of a military funeral and depicted a young boy with outstretched hands waiting to receive a flag. My thoughts at the time were that this poor boy, maybe 8 or 9 years old, would never again see his father, feel his presence, join him on fishing and camping trips, attend boy scout meetings. It was all gone for this boy, and as he went on to grieve in the following months he was angry, angry with the war, hearing opposing views about it when he watched the news on tv in his room. This child was left with medals - medals...mind you..in place of his father. He was expected to accept the fact that his father was a hero, thus it was supposed to justify the loss. This boy had to come to terms with all the confusing emotion in his heart. His mother had her own grief to contend with, well-meaning adults told him he was the "man of the family", and to take care of his Mom now. Small wonder that here was another "war casualty" that didn't show up on the battlefield casualty reports. I personally do not know any child who lost a parent to war. I found that I couldn't get this nameless boy out of my head until I came to grips with what I "sensed" was what he may have felt. It was a painful, draining experience for me.
Far too often, the "other unreported war casualties" are right here in our own backyards. My heart goes out to the surviving families of war. I have the utmost respect for our military who serve our country, go where they are assigned and do what is expected of them. I cannot imagine anything more stressful than facing an "enemy" whom you cannot detect from anyone else looking and dressing as ordinary people - in a foreign land - just going about their business. No battlefield lines so one can determine where the "enemy" is hiding. Suspects can also include women and children who may be carrying explosives meant to destroy you. The men and women who are dealing with this war at this moment have such a tremendous amount of stress, they have to make decisions based on instinct, rely on those who are supposed to be "friendly", and on intelligence reports that are sometimes inaccurate.
Do I believe that our troops deserve more than our country does for them. Absolutely, and there really isn't enough compensation which we can offer them for their sacrifices. Yes, "God Bless America, and God Bless Our Troops".
Far too often, the "other unreported war casualties" are right here in our own backyards. My heart goes out to the surviving families of war. I have the utmost respect for our military who serve our country, go where they are assigned and do what is expected of them. I cannot imagine anything more stressful than facing an "enemy" whom you cannot detect from anyone else looking and dressing as ordinary people - in a foreign land - just going about their business. No battlefield lines so one can determine where the "enemy" is hiding. Suspects can also include women and children who may be carrying explosives meant to destroy you. The men and women who are dealing with this war at this moment have such a tremendous amount of stress, they have to make decisions based on instinct, rely on those who are supposed to be "friendly", and on intelligence reports that are sometimes inaccurate.
Do I believe that our troops deserve more than our country does for them. Absolutely, and there really isn't enough compensation which we can offer them for their sacrifices. Yes, "God Bless America, and God Bless Our Troops".
on Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:30 am by Piper
It’s Veteran’s Day today – Thank you Veterans! We are honoring all who have served.
on Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:41 am by Booklover
I will remember all Veterans. 
The one I will remember most of all is my Dad. He was my best friend, my Hero & the light of my life. My Dad was a very loyal, courageous & dedicated man. He served our country in World War II, Korea & Vietnam. My Dad was the most trustworthy, brave, sincere & loyal person that I've ever known. His intelligence, sense of humor & generosity always amazed me. He was also the most charitable person that I've ever known in my life. I think about him, & miss him each and every day since his death almost 11 years ago in December. My Dad was a man who didn't have one selfish bone in his body. He always thought about others, and how he could help them. I know this without a doubt, my Dad has definitely earned his "wings" in Heaven! 
God Bless you Dad. I love you always ~ forever!
God Bless, love, watch over & protect each and every one of our Veterans. God Bless all our Military Personnel and their families. God Bless the USA! 
The one I will remember most of all is my Dad. He was my best friend, my Hero & the light of my life. My Dad was a very loyal, courageous & dedicated man. He served our country in World War II, Korea & Vietnam. My Dad was the most trustworthy, brave, sincere & loyal person that I've ever known. His intelligence, sense of humor & generosity always amazed me. He was also the most charitable person that I've ever known in my life. I think about him, & miss him each and every day since his death almost 11 years ago in December. My Dad was a man who didn't have one selfish bone in his body. He always thought about others, and how he could help them. I know this without a doubt, my Dad has definitely earned his "wings" in Heaven! God Bless you Dad. I love you always ~ forever! God Bless, love, watch over & protect each and every one of our Veterans. God Bless all our Military Personnel and their families.
God Bless the USA!
on Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:37 am by Cali
Booklover...you are lucky to have had the love of your dad, lucky too that he was such a loving special man. I'm sure that the bond you had with him still exists, and that he is watching over you from heaven.
on Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:43 am by Julie
Booklover-what a lovely post! It is so wonderful when there is a strong father/daughter bond. It seems like these days, there's not as many as there should be. You were blessed to have one of the great ones. (I've been blessed too.) Reminds me of that saying...Any man can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a Daddy.
on Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:28 am by Booklover
Hi, Cali!Cali wrote:Booklover...you are lucky to have had the love of your dad, lucky too that he was such a loving special man. I'm sure that the bond you had with him still exists, and that he is watching over you from heaven.
Thank you so much for your kind words. You're right, the bond I had with my Dad was a strong one. So strong that it can never be broken. I feel his comforting presence often, but, especially in times when I need him the most. Our loved ones never really leave us. Love is eternal.
on Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:35 am by Booklover
Hi, Julie!Julie wrote:Booklover-what a lovely post! It is so wonderful when there is a strong father/daughter bond. It seems like these days, there's not as many as there should be. You were blessed to have one of the great ones. (I've been blessed too.) Reminds me of that saying...Any man can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a Daddy.
Thank you for those kind words. My Dad was so special that I still cry when I think of him. I miss him so very much. 
When I was a little girl, I thought my Dad was the most handsome man I'd ever seen. I still feel that way to this very day. Even more important, my Dad had the most beautiful "soul" too. I'm so glad that you were lucky to have a wonderful Dad too.
on Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:56 pm by Piper
Booklover, your Dad certainly was a Hero. I'd say he passed those wonderful traits along to his loving daughter as well.
on Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:17 pm by Booklover
Hi, Piper!Piper wrote:Booklover, your Dad certainly was a Hero. I'd say he passed those wonderful traits along to his loving daughter as well.
What a lovely thing to say! 
Thank you. You're so kind! Are you trying to make me cry? 
Did you know that I still have my Dad's Air Force Uniform? It's wrapped carefully in a wardrobe cover. It's absolutely priceless to me.
on Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:10 am by Booklover
Hi, eva!eva wrote:Which Veteran Will You Remember On Veteran's Day?
I will remember my Grandfather. In the two minutes of silence. The eleventh month, the eleventh day, the eleventh hour. My Grandfather, a man who sent many souls to heaven, before he saved many souls.
Fort Hood, Texas? The gunman there last week said, "I am Muslim first, American second." As he opened fire on innocent American military he shouted, "Allahu Akbar" - God is great!
My grandfather, as a young man, arrived in British Columbia, Canada from Belfast, Ireland in 1910 and felt he was answering God's call to become a minister in the Presbyterian Church, (the United Church wasn't formed until after the union with the Methodists and Congregationalist in1925). My grandfather enrolled then in Theology college. In 1914, when W.W.I broke out, calls for volunteers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force went out. Thirteen of the 14 members of my grandfather's class volunteered. My grandfather, with extremely poor vision, was tested for his eyesight and subsequently rejected. His eyesight was too poor to fight in a war, so he was sent home.
However, my grandfather was motivated to go to war, so he obtained a copy of the standard eye chart, took it home and memorized it. After memorizing the eye chart, he went back on a different day to apply to be accepted. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, he was then accepted to fight in W.W.I. Off he went.
He went to France, to the frontlines and when he arrived, while bullets were blazing he called out, "There is a problem, I can not see more than one foot before me!" The Sergeant at that time said, "That's okay, then we'll give you a Lewis machine gun. You don't need to see more than one foot before you. Just keep it loaded and keep it swinging!"
After much success sending souls prematurely to heaven, my grandfather then rose to become Sergeant in charge of a section of a platoon. That platoon became part of the newly-formed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the PPCLI, named for one of the contemporary royal princesses. The PPCLI exist even today as part of the Canadian Forces. Obviously, he was very proud of his membership in that regiment; so much so, that his first born was named Patricia, my Aunt Pat. For this my Grandfather earned six medals and ribbons which he brought home with him.
Grandfather never said much about the effects of the machine gun on enemy troops, only that they were one of the "modern" weapons which helped lead to some of the horrendous casualties in W.W.I. Grandfather served in France from 1915 until the war's end November 11, 1918 - which was originally called Armistice Day. In America it is now referred to as Veteran's Day, while in Canada it is called Remembrance Day.
During those years he lost or saw severely wounded several of his closest friends. Ironically, however, he said he was on leave in Dublin when the Easter Rebellion occurred in 1916, and, while there,on his way to visit his relatives in Belfast, wearing the Canadian Army uniform which was identical to that of the British Army, he said he was more frightened than he had ever been in France because he couldn't tell where the "enemy" was. (Shades of the modern day guerilla wars.) My grandfather never expressed anything but admiration for the soldiers of the German Army. One story that might illustrate that was after a German pilot who had been strafing the Canadians was shot down in a field near the Canadian positions, the German pilot climbed out of his wrecked plane, and rather than surrendering, pulled his pistol and started to fire at the Canadians. At that, the Canadians gave him a warm welcome.
For his years of service, my Grandfather received several campaign medals, and, of course, an honorable discharge.
Grandfather was also very proud of his Scottish heritage. He told the story of finishing a 20 mile march back to the front under full pack, but towards the end, the weary troops were greeted by a piper, and completed the march with much lighter hearts.
Today, we hear about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; in W.W.I, it was "battle fatigue" or "shell shock," and whatever all the circumstances affecting my Grandfather, he didn't immediately complete his theology studies until 1921 or 22. One incident he did report was, on a quiet Sunday night in the early evening in Vancouver's West End, he found himself lying flat on the pavement following the firing of the Nine O'clock Gun. A tradition that continues to this day. Every single day in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the Nine O'clock Gun (a cannon) fires. This sound instinctively caused my Grandfather repeatedly to "hit the deck".
Still, when W.W. II began in 1939, at age 54, Grandfather volunteered to become a chaplain. The Army politely declined, suggesting there would be honourable work to be done at home. Unfortunately, as the casualties overseas mounted, the Army was right: many members of his congregation in Kimberley, BC suffered losses of family members.
My Grandfather represents the type of person of those years, in the years before the great disillusionments, of the sixties who believed in being part of a "Great Cause:" the "War to End Wars."
He died in 1951, age 66, of the effects of what doctors in 1940 had called
a "tired heart." Partly a casualty of war? Who knows?
What about now? What have we been spending in IRAQ?
U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ
Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $800 billion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through mid-2009, including $76 billion requested by President Obama and approved by Congress.
U.S. 2009 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $7.3 billion as of Oct 2009
U.S. 2008 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $12 billion
U.S. Spending per Second - $5,000 in 2008 (per Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on May 5, 2008)
Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000 (Congressional Research Service)
Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles.
Missing - $1 billion in tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces. (Per CBS News on Dec 6, 2007.)
Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings
Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion
Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion
Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem "questionable or supportable" - $3.2 billion
Number of major U.S. bases in Iraq - 75
One day. Do you think one day we can all remember enough to wish for peace?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKhIJfB510
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God Bless your wonderful Grandfather. God Bless you too, & thank you for sharing his story with us. Keeping you both in my heart, thoughts & prayers.
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