Please remember - today is Veteran's Day

frazzled1
Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:05:18 +0000

Such nice stories! Here’s mine. The senior center where I work is closed on federal holidays, but we hold a special luncheon honoring senior veterans on November 10th. Vets receive a free lunch (always their favorite, which is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie), there’s patriotic music, and we recognize each of them by their branch of the service. This year a local collector displayed a huge collection of military memorabilia from WWII, which is the war most of our members served in (though a fair number also served in Korea or during the Cold War, and some Viet Nam vets are seniors now, too!).

It’s so touching and awe-inspiring to see these men, most now well into their 80s, and realize the enormity of the military effort in WW II. They couldn’t be more different in education, profession, or economic class, but there is a real brotherhood about them. Our favorite senior is a Marine who served on Iwo Jima and in several other Pacific campaigns, received two Purple Hearts and all kinds of commendations. He’s very frail now, but he came in wearing his dress cap and oh - was he handsome!