A great great Grandfather fought for the Union Army in the not so Civil War. My Dad was Army in WWII and POW and Purple Heart recipient, I will call 97 year old WWII and D-Day and Purple Heart recipient Uncle Ed tomorrow. He was 82nd Airborne Glider Division and hooked up with the101st and fought in Bastone and Holland and etc. Dad and Ed said the same thing, they ran low on ammo and supplies during the battle of the Bulge, about froze to death and never ever thought thy would survive the damned mortar attacks. My Dad's younger brother was killed in the Philippine's by a Jap sniper when he was 19. My Dad's older brother fought in Italy. Most of my Dad's buddies were WWII vets and to this day I thank God I was raised and influenced by such men as these.
My brother served six years in the Navy and I served four and we both pulled three West Pac cruises at Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf during Viet Nam War with multiple months in the "combat zone" each cruise. But, we had it easy compared to my Dad and uncles and no one ever shot at us that I know of. My son served ten years in the Army in Military Intelligence and his wife served for three years.
One of my favorite pictures is of me, my son-in laws Marine Corp's Viet Nam Combat vet Dad and my Dad and the other two grandfathers who were WWII vets. Only me and my son-in laws Dad are left.
I pray my grandsons never have to see combat and wish the sorry politician's we have had to serve to be in congress, the senate or the White House, we would have fewer wars. I am and always will be a Patriot and I love the United States.
To all of you who served, you have my heartfelt gratitude and thanks and respect. Well done!
