Memorial Day

Thank you for our freedom!

My father fought in WW2, as did millions of other young men and women his age.

He was a navigator on a B-17 bomber, was shot down during a mission over Germany, and spent the final year of the conflict as a prisoner of war in a German concentration camp. He suvived the brutality, the starvation, and the bone-numbing cold of a forced march in winter, as the Nazis retreated from the US and Russian armies closing in on them.

He contracted tuberculosis before his liberation, and suffers from lung ailments to this day.

He never claimed to be a hero. He never bragged about his exploits.

He did what he thought he had to do to defend our country and defeat evil.

Thank you, dad!

While this clip specifically celebrates the sacrifice of those who fought in World War II, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have sacrificed for America.

I want to thank all of you who continue to sacrifice for our nation today.

To my radio buddies, Roger, Paul, and Loren, who fought in Vietnam; my friend, John who served all over the world in various conflicts; to my cousin, Matt, who fought, and was wounded in the first Gulf War, and who still serves and is now a Colonel in the Marines; to the sons of my good friends, Jordan and Kenny, Jr., who are on active duty in dangerous places right now, thank you!

You make us proud!

 

And, I feel blessed that my son and I were able to take my father to see the World War 2 Memorial in Washington, DC several years ago. He is 88, slowing a bit with age, but still going strong. If you haven’t visited, it’s time. It’s a very moving experience.

Today, call a veteran you know. Say “Thank you!”

It’s the very least we can do.