On a Retrospective to Veteran’s Day 2009

Yesterday was Veteran’s Day and since my work location was closed, I had the opportunity to watch more cable news. Sure the day is filled with parades, speeches, and moments of silence, but it is a day that should cause each of us to reflect.

I thought about Vietnam. Although I didn’t serve, I lived the times. Years later when the Vietnam Memorial design was proposed, I recall the outcry against it. Then again, I also recall visiting it and the special feeling I got walking down the ramp into the memorial. Wow – I guess the design was right after all.

I thought about my dad who served in WW II at age 18. He’s always kept in touch with his Army buddies, yet their numbers decrease each day. I heard a report today saying that there are over 2 million WW II veterans still alive today – yet I also read an estimated of 1200 of them die each day.

I thought about last year taking Dad to a reunion of a post-WW II group. Interestingly this group was made of a few who also served in WW II, but also some who where just getting started, thus eventually ending their military careers following Vietnam. The link to those two wars was right there in the room with me among them. I wrote about the reunion weekend last Veterans Day (here’s the link).

I watched President Obama’s speech at Arlington National Cemetery. It was a good speech that was full reflection – then again presidential speeches on this day are good for that, no matter who delivers it.

I also saw a report about Honor Flight – an organization that is funding trips so WW II veterans can visit the WW II Memorial in Washington. Very impressive, but I’m sorry that I was unable to find the online video version. In its place, please visit the Honor Flight site for more information about this noble cause, and here’s an ABC News video from 2007 about the person who started it.

On Memorial Day 2009

Parades, picnics, barbeques, neighborhood parties are many of the activities scheduled for the last day of this 3-day weekend. On the other hand, after watching interviews with Admiral Mullen and several Iraq-War veterans, I was once again reminded that today is not about any of the things, but more about remembering those who died while serving.

I must admit, I didn’t serve any military time; nor did many of my friends. Today I know more who served in Vietnam than I knew at the time of that war. Although I had a draft lottery number of 046 and had successfully passed my induction physical, President Nixon had started troop withdrawal.

But in those recent interviews, these soldiers asked us to remember the fallen warriors – the ones who returned home in a flag-draped casket. So with this post, I recall Tommy from my hometown.

Tommy was the first person I knew to die in combat. Although I was 7 years younger, I knew him as one of the teenagers who helped while I was in little league, plus through the American Legion where both of our fathers were members. I recall how the news of his death shocked our small town, and for some reason he occasionally pops into my mind over the past 40 years.

In the early 1990s I recall my first and only trip to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington. A different felling came upon me as I walked down the ramp into this simple-looking memorial. I never found Tommy’s name, but I thought about him again on that day.

So today, salute to you Tommy, as well as all others who have died while serving this country over the past 200+ years.

Here’s a collection of editorials cartoonists from around the country.

Image from ArlingtonCemetary.org