Veterans hold a very special place in my life. One of honor. No matter the war, we must remember what these people went through for their very beliefs. And here we sit, watching the same old junk on the tube, being distracted by every ring, ping and ding on our cell phones, or not really looking at those crazy ball caps that a lot of folks are wearing.
You know the ones: most say VFW, Veteran of the Korean War, Vietnam (God forbid that hateful, crazy Asian War), or the new battles that our warriors fight in the Middle East. WW2 vets are a dying breed.
Growing up, I was taught to be very respectful of people who served in our military, and that included those who fought in all wars. Saluting and thanking was just part of the fabric of my being and still is to this day.
A month ago, as I was leaving my local post office, an old geezer held the door for me. (Of course I eat up the hold-the-door-thingee with a spoon). He wore his VFW cap, and something made me stop and strike up a conversation. All I said was, "what a war that was. Thank you for serving." We stood there at the door while he let it spill: how he was captured, how he was marched and the POW Camp. I got that he couldn't get the "it" of War out of his system. We were there for 45 minutes. I understood that he probably suffered from PST, something my father suffered from and his screams for years woke us all up regularly. He passed it off as the dog grabbing his big ole' honkin' schnoz, which he joked about being Polish and proud. It was no joke.
The geezer just kept talking. And my errands no longer mattered because this man felt comfortable enough with me to tell me his life's story -- remarkable indeed.
So few really take the time to thank a vet. This particular window does. It shows men in Khaki uniforms ala WW1 serving in the armed Forces and to the nuns and nurses who cared for them on the battlefields. At the right of the scene are soldiers and sailors arriving on shore, bearing the American flag and supporting the wounded. To the left are other soldiers and a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul tending a fallen nurse. Behind them St. Mary looks upward toward figures of Christ and attending angels. It's one of the few in America that does the thanking. Funny, it was made in Tyrol, Austria.
On November 12, the St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish, Sterling Heights, will host a special mass honoring veterans and military service members at 7 pm. The VFW Color Guard from Post 7473 will present colors. A reception will follow. Try to attend if you can. Or, any service that honors our military.
Let's just take a little minute to know that 3 years after the Civil War ended, that Decoration Day was established as a way to remember those who served in the most bloody war in our history. Still, to this day, more men died in the Civil War than in all the wars Americans served in to the present.
Of course, my most favorite (and most handsome by far) General Grant (and most loved two-termed President) presided over the ceremony. General Grant really understood what the soldiers went through. In fact, when he and General Lee met at Appomattox, Gen. Grant made sure that the men turned in their weapons and were well fed. Did you know that most didn't have shoes? General Grant was so saddened by the circumstances that he and Gen. Lee chit chatted about their serving together in the Mexican-American War until Gen. Lee had to start the the "give up" of the South. Then, General Grant fed the starving men and sent them home in time for spring planting. Gen. Lee was so touched that afterwards he would not ever allow anyone to say anything negative about General Grant, who took no prisoners. In short, he was a Mensch. He was the "dude."
Again, it's not just Veterans Day, but it is a time to remember ALL of America's warriors, our soldiers who left home, and who saw things that lived on in their heads that we could never imagine. We need to pray for our veterans, especially for those who return without limbs, for those who wound up in psych wards, for those who end their lives.
When you see those baseball caps announcing a VFW Hall or a War, stop and thank a vet. You'll be surprised at what you'll hear.
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