Today is Sacred....

[Rocketmedic]

I just miss my friends. You are loved and missed, SPC Cody Towse, Mitchell Daehling, William Gilbert KIA 5/13 in Afghanistan.

 

[Tinpig]

"Poppy’s are related to Memorial Day, not Veterans Day."

That's true in the US, but in Canada and Great Britain and the other Commonwealth countries, the poppy ("In Flanders Fields...") is emblematic of Nov. 11th, Rembrance Day, or Armistice Day.
My Dad was British and fought in WW II (he later became a US citizen) and always wore his medals and a poppy on November 11th. I think it's a great custom.

 

[Group Therapy]

OK, we will make this thread about guns. Here is a pic of my great uncle Albert. He is a WWI veteran. And that is the root of Veterans Day. November 11 of each year commemorating the cessation of hostilities in WWI on November 11, 1918.


View attachment 767947

This pic is from the 1980's. It was a family gathering where I brought my two children, then about 8 or 9 years old, to have a conversation with Uncle Albert. They did. Who of you have chatted with a WWI veteran? Especially if you are under 45 years old today.

Albert of course is long gone. But in the family still is a 1917 Eddystone. Not the same one Albert fought with. But the same type that he and countless others fought in France with under General Pershing. Here is a recent picture of my son, Albert's great great grand nephew (or something like that) with the Eddystone.

There. This thread IS about a gun:

View attachment 767948

 

[tomturkey]

I can remember when I was in school when the 11th of November was still called Armisitist Day, marking the end of WW1. At 11 am on the 11th we would have a moment of silence at school. The secretary that normally did the announcements could not do this announcement as she was always in tears as her brother had been killed in Europe in WW2.

God bless all vets long past, present and all of those now serving!

 

[Craig_AR]

Each year at this time I watch Terry Kelly's video, "A Pittance of Time."
I need a quiet place to do so. I recommend to all, watch, share, and make this a personal ritual, also.
For the younger in the forum who may not know the history, the treaty ending The Great War, the War to End All Wars (now called World War I) was signed "on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month," and that day was commemorated as Armistice Day. As later conflicts proved that the armistice had not been permanent, many nations re-named the day as Remembrance Day. This includes Kelly's home of Canada. In the USA we now call this date Veterans' Day.
Also, as was mentioned above, Memorial Day honors and remembers those who lost their lives in service; Armistice Day / Remembrance Day / Veterans' Day honors all who served, especially those still with us.

 

[Rshooter]

My dad was spit on when he returned from Vietnam. I joined in the seventies and the military was still treated somewhat poorly. I am happy to see that people appreciate the military today.

Semper Fi.

 

[BigBore44]

Each year at this time I watch Terry Kelly's video, "A Pittance of Time."
I need a quiet place to do so. I recommend to all, watch, share, and make this a personal ritual, also.
For the younger in the forum who may not know the history, the treaty ending The Great War, the War to End All Wars (now called World War I) was signed "on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month," and that day was commemorated as Armistice Day. As later conflicts proved that the armistice had not been permanent, many nations re-named the day as Remembrance Day. This includes Kelly's home of Canada. In the USA we now call this date Veterans' Day.
Also, as was mentioned above, Memorial Day honors and remembers those who lost their lives in service; Armistice Day / Remembrance Day / Veterans' Day honors all who served, especially those still with us.

Well, that was a pretty moving and compelling video. Thank you for posting that.

 

[CapnMac]

In the US Memorial Day stems from observances related to the ACW.
In other parts of the world, they combine such observances with Armistice/Remembrance Day.

 

[Reloadron]

I hope all my fellow veterans had a nice enjoyable Veteran's Day. I went down to Columbus to see family. My daughter and son in law bought me a brick as well as a brick for my son in law's dad. Nice little ceremony in a vet's section of a park in Ghana, Ohio. Enjoyed dinner out Friday celebrating the 242nd Marine Corps Birthday. Myself as well as my sister are former Marines as was my sister's now deceased husband, a victim of Agent Orange. I enjoyed my kids and grandchildren as well as immediate family. Hard to believe Vietnam was so long ago and I was in the Marines for the 200th Birthday Ball.


My own little brick, Ron Blain, that would be me.

Semper Fi
Ron

 

[JONWILL]

I was in the Army Reserves from 1983 to 1987 and went Active Duty Air Force 1987 to 1991

Worked on the B-52’s of the 5th Bomb Wing. It was the best time of my life. Life had a purpose and it was simple. Our job was to get 10 Bombers loaded with Nukes off the ground before Soviet missiles destroyed our base

 

[Group Therapy]

I was in the Army Reserves from 1983 to 1987 and went Active Duty Air Force 1987 to 1991

Worked on the B-52’s of the 5th Bomb Wing. It was the best time of my life. Life had a purpose and it was simple. Our job was to get 10 Bombers loaded with Nukes off the ground before Soviet missiles destroyed our base

I salute all Cold War Veterans. Sure we did not suffer the body counts of others. But the mission was no small matter. Just largely invisible.
Thanks for your contribution.

GT
1st Bn, 41st FA, 56th Arty Brigade. Nuklear (1971-1974)
Pershing, Sir. We gave peace a chance.
Mission Accomplished.

 

[Hokkmike]

One of these years maybe I will pull my dress uniform out of the man cave closet and join the annual big day parade.

Mine would never fit sorry to say.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Mine would never fit sorry to say.

Ditto...
USN 72-77

 

[herrwalther]

I was treaded poorly as a soldier in the early seventies. The Vietnam war was unpopular and in some way people believed I was partly responsible.

I must say things have drastically changed. I live in a community where you are treated with respect and thanked for your duty to your country. Many businesses often discounts to veterans, too numerous to mention. Each Memorial Day we have a celebration at a local club house to honor those that died defending our freedoms.

We live in a special country. It’s sad that the main stream media pays so little attention to our vets.

One of my closest relatives growing up was a Vietnam enlisted Air Force veteran. He laid commo wires for Marine and Army bases. He never talked about the war, not even to his wife. He works at the Post office since his ETS. He tried tooth and nail to talk me into going Air Force instead of Army. We got a little estranged when I went in the Army anyway. He opened up to me quite a bit before I moved south, as long as I was buying him lunch

My wife's uncle is a Marine Vietnam veteran. I extend the tradition to him and get him lunch when both of us want to get away from the families.