Missives

What did he have to lose?

What did they?

• It's November 11 Veterans Day and my yard just got mowed. I don't know which is crazier thinking about my wartime service or mowing the yard in what is for all intents- winter.



• Once when I was a kid in the Texas National Guard in Decatur Texas there was a Veterans Day celebration and I was the Soldier, a classmate was the Marine, a friend was the Airman and a co-worker was the Sailor for the start of the parade, music, political bluster etc.



• God, I was 17 when I enlisted- what a kid.


• Lord, I was 40 when I finally fought in a war- what an old man.



• Someone called earlier who I didn't know even knew I had served and wished me well for Veterans Day- nice. Man, that was real nice actually.



• I went because it was my time to go and my country needed me- does anyone think like that anymore?



• I've heard people say,"I'm not going to get myself killed for..." If you wouldn't die for your country, what are you living for ? Really, WHAT WOULD YOU GET KILLED FOR? In the end, it's the man to your left and right anyway and if a person can pass up the opportunity to understand that, I pity you.



• Wonder what the 300,000 plus American men who died in WWII had to live for?



• Warfighting is one of the few timeless things in our history that there is no way to get a grasp on without having been.



• I've seen men vomit from fear before going on a mission to a bad area but, they went and I know who they are and honor them nearly every day in various ways and thoughts. I'm thankful that there are men in this world who know a little of what I'm made of and probably have the same warm thoughts about me from time to time.



• There are people alive in this world because of my service who would have died and I'm proud of that.



• There are people over there whose lives were made better by some personal efforts of myself and others and that will always warm my heart.



• There are also things I think I will take to the grave with me and I doubt that feeling will change.



• You wouldn't understand if I tried.