Thank you to all veterans

[Wildkat]

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all veterans.
Your dedication, service and sacrifice are greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[CatatonicBug]

+1 to that! Vets should get the day off today IMO...

[fredintoon]

On a personal note

My thanks to my father's two eldest brothers who were KIA on the Western Front during WW1, my mother's two youngest brothers who survived serving in North Africa and in Burma during WW2 and to my uncles by marriage, one of whom claimed to have sailed the seven seas for six years of total war in search of the enemy and never found him and the other who claimed he was 2 weeks too late for every battle they sent him to.
To my father and my father-in-law who volunteered the day war was declared and were sent right back to the aircraft factory to work compulsory overtime and to join the Fire service and the Home Guard in their free time.
And to my mother, who served by donating blood as often as they'd let her and by standing in endless lines with the ration books with me holding her hand and my sister in her pram.

[latexeses]

God bless all veterans today and every day. We owe our lives to you.

THANK YOU

[Kronk]

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/woundedwarriors/article/888170--wounded-soldier-finds-his-strength-in-family-s-values

[Kronk]

^ thats my best friend. He joined the army at 18 years old, went to afghanistan at 20 in the First Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He went to Germany on April 3rd this year still at 20 years of age. He is 21 now though... Just did A 5 km walk without help of (in his own words) his cripple sticks, or his big wheel. He is doing awesome... I take a bit of credit as we toughened eachother up all our lives. The bottom picture in the pictures section is him, Momma B, Ron his dad, His two biological sisters, his adopted sister and brother, his two foster brothers, and a foster sister. Quite a few more have come and gone over the years, including me! No shortage of love in that house, and no shortage of strength, courage, and stubborness in Brock.

[yamahansolo]

Happy veterans day to us.

I was a navy hospital corpsman for almost 10 yrs.

95 to 04. I spent time over seas and time here. I don't fell I did anything special I was just doing my job. The only time I got really injured was when I had an artierial gas embolism at 10000 ft. The last 4 yrs I was a aviation land and water survival training instructor. I embolized at 10k but we ascended to 20kft after that.this was in the hypobaric chamber. Thes caused my whole rt side to loose all sensitivity while the bubble was in my brain. They said I looked like bill the cat because my eye was drooping. Kinda like a stroke. They took me to the hypobaric chamber and almost all the symptoms went away. I still have some memory issues so if I act weird on here sometimes that's why. I am very lucky my injurys are nothing like the guys who give their lives and loose body parts. To me those are the heroes.
But my kids school was doing lunch with vets and I got to eat with them. In never felt like I needed a thankyou or that I deserved one but I almost cried when these 2 little boys came up and asked for my autograph.
My work gave all of us little cakes tonight as well. It was great. So thanks to us!!! Even you army bums...

[blkryno]

I think its great that our people in the military are getting the recognition and appreciation they deserve. It wasn't always that way.
THANK YOU to all serving our country.

blkryno
U.S.M.C. 72/75

[DiverRay]

Hey, although I didn't do much, I WAS in from '73 to '75. And as an ARMY BUM, all I can say is we jumped out of airplanes gladly after landing ONCE with an Airforce pilot!
A belated thanks to ALL who have served, and a thought and prayer for those that didn't make it home.....
2nd Battalion, 325th Inf. 82nd Airborn

[slow mo]

thank you

i want to thank all branches of the service most of all i would like to thank my grandfather who served in 2 wars and spent the rest of his life being a cop in Belfast,, he died in a veterans hospital ,,no pomp no ceremony a decorated soldier ,,thanks !

[yamahansolo]

My little brother was an army bum for about 6 yrs as well...

[DGXSER]

To quote a rather famous movie line, " We like you Navy guys, you're always there to give us a ride when we need one!"

Yep, serving was a lot less than thankful job at one time in this country. Sorry situation for sure. And honestly, even in 1985 walking around in my dress greens I felt the sneer from some folks. But that has thankfully changed.

And much like Yamahansolo stated, I've always looked at serving as a job we signed up to do. No different than folks who decide to be a "honey Dipper" for a living, now THAT is a thankless job that benefits many!!!! . Alot of things you can do for living and die while your at it. Heck, I made it four hours of driving on Ohio interstates today, now THAT was something I felt deserved a MOH and hazardous duty pay for!!!!

The ones I really admire were the folks who stood in line after Pearl Harbor and signed up to go kick some azz. Like my FIL who signe dup when he was 16 by faking his age. And I feel for the folks who were drafted and did not choose to go or want to. Sad thing is, those are the ones who came back to the worst treatment.

[xs11jack]

I am the last of my Mother's side of the family tradition of serving our county that goes back to Alphenous Americus Burton, who enlisted it the 10th Minnesota Volunteers in 1863. He lived to 1928, his widow, until 1944. I have an old b&w photo of her sitting in a chair outside, with my sister standing beside her and my mother, 7 month pregnant with me, standing behind her. I know that I saw her before she died, but, of course I don't remember it. When I was in the Army in the middle sixties, I remember I listened to a lot of abuse here in the U.S.. We just let the communists rave and turned away, wondering what we did wrong, we hadn't, but the communists were driven by emotions and politics, not facts. I want to thank all the other Vetrans that love our country!
Ole 'The Flag waver' Jack