Thank you, Vets!

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

All i'm going to say, is my time in the service was both the best, and worst time of my life. It was that experience that has defined my character, and my person. I identify with, and carry it with me every day of my life. I'm filled with both pride, and regret.

While i have mentioned my service a few times on subsim, in real life, I rarely, if never mention it. In fact, if it were not for my Fiancee who insisted on displaying it, most of my "wall paper" would be tucked away in a cardboard box, in the back of the closet. Never to be mentioned, seen, or discussed. For while I am very proud of what i did, where i went, and the traditions i carried on and was apart of, I am humbled, and I keep my mouth shut. Because, while i did endure plenty of hardship; I still ended my service with all eyes, ears, fingers, toes, arms, legs, and feet i enlisted with - and I didn't come home in a box. Others, in both my time, and especially with today's generation of GI's, were not so lucky or fortunate.

The Frau does not understand why I keep all that crap buried away in the bottom of a closet. Glad I am not the only one experiencing this.

Unfortunately, in my job I can't keep my military experience hidden as it is an important part of my job. But off duty, I never mention it unless I am telling one of my famous almost interesting war stories - you know the stories where I had to storm the machine-gun nests, up hill both ways, in the snow, in July.. no shoes.. had to share the gun.. but I was thankful...

I remember working with this guy, he is dead now, but he would only briefly acknowledge "being in the military". I found out from his close friends that he was a Marine in the Korean Conflict and that he had a Navy Cross, Silver Star, and a Purple Heart with multiple devices. He may have had a DSM. But anyway he had a chest full of medals and ones that actually mean something, not like the crap I had to wear.

He and his squad, charged and captured/destroyed a five tank enemy attack! If you made a movie about it, people would say it was fiction.

And he never talked about it. He would talk your head off about everything else, but he never talked about his military service or his heroic acts. I guess he did not need to. That's one criteria for a hero in my book.

I feel good thinking about him on Veteran's Day. When you remember the dead, they live, if only for a moment.