Thank you, Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Leming, winner of the Bronze Star (and my brother-in-law, pictured above returning this year from Iraq), for your service. Thank you, Daddy, for your Coast Guard service in the 1950s. Thank you AnotherBeliever, cb, Brent and all the readers of this blog who served our country under arms. Thank you to every veteran for what you gave. And thank you to the military families for what you gave.
UPDATE: Here's a great Veterans Day radio commentary that aired in Dallas this morning. The commentator is my pal Bill Holston, who sometimes comments on this site. Excerpt:
Of the 16 million Americans who served in the military in World War Two, there are about 2.4 million still living. Over 1,000 die every day. All too soon, it will be too late, to ask to hear their stories.
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On this day, and on Memorial Day, I often think of the following:
Homer, Iliad, VI.146-149 (Glaucus to Diomedes):
Hoie: per phyllwn genee:, toie: de kai andrwn.
phylla ta men t' anemos khamadis kheei, alla de th' hyle:
te:lethowsa phyei, earos d' epigignetai hwre:.
hws andrwn genee:, he: men phyei, he: d' apole:gei.
[e: = eta, w = omega]
Just as are the generations of leaves, so too are the generations of men.
Some leaves the wind causes to fall to the ground, others the burgeoning forest brings forth, and the season of spring has arrived.
Thus the generations of men, one buds forth, another passes away.
And Vergil, Aeneid, I.462:
Sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt.
There are tears for human affairs, and mortality touches the heart.
Great picture of your brother-in-law and his family! Although I wore the uniform for ten years, I never went into combat. I am continually astonished and in awe at the bravery, intelligence, and professionalism of our present-day servicemen and women. We owe these people a lot - God bless each and every one of them.
Nice post. Moving. Thanks to all who served and serve, and the people who support them, including my brother and his family.
thanks Rod, for the comment. It is amazing to see these aging warriors. It is a privilege to sit with them and remember that they stood together when our Country really needed them.
blessings,
bill
A salute to Stephen P Snowberger III, "Snow," who didn't come back.
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