1 3 Next
Topic: Have you Thanked a Soldier today ???
elwoodsully's photo
Mon 08/04/08 08:18 AM
When I returned to the states after Desert Storm, my best buddy Dave, who was in Nam, encouraged me to join the VFW. I am in awe of all of my Brothers when I go to one. The stories that some of the WWII vets are simply amazing. My Dad, and my 2 Uncles fought also, but they never talked about it to me, save for the advice to never volunteer for anything...lol.

The Nam era vets were the most grateful (???) for my serving in DS. If it weren't for the HELL that they went through, our gov't might have screwed up again. It's not my intent to insult what they did in Nam, quite the opposite. I honor them. It's just our gov't finally let the soldier fight the war, and not DC.

Rapunzel's photo
Mon 08/04/08 08:19 AM


I just had breakfast with 4 army vets.. We know each other served, and it's nice to not have to splain things to each other. Bob served in Korea, Bob2 served stateside during Korea, Ron served after Nam, Gibby served in peacetime, right before Nam, and me. It's nice, even at 43, to be called a pup...bigsmile
I know what ya mean, the Nam vets I have a beer with every now and then served in different outfits but we all have that unspoken bond!!!!



Hi there Mikey...drinker

Good to see you, Brother happy

Love and light and big hugs :heart:

and many thanks to you, also drinker smokin drinker

Rapunzel's photo
Mon 08/04/08 08:36 AM
Edited by Rapunzel on Mon 08/04/08 08:51 AM

When I returned to the states after Desert Storm, my best buddy Dave, who was in Nam, encouraged me to join the VFW. I am in awe of all of my Brothers when I go to one. The stories that some of the WWII vets are simply amazing. My Dad, and my 2 Uncles fought also, but they never talked about it to me, save for the advice to never volunteer for anything...lol.



My Dad was in the Army and in WWII
i have to ask him what his particular unit
or identifying name of the group he was in...
He used to go to the different dances
his unit hosted..But he is 83 now
& not as steady on the dance floor...
I know i have mentioned this before,
but i will never forget the lives of my uncles...
even though i wasn't born yet, i still feel as if i know them...

My Mother's favorite Uncle Joe
from Connecticut was killed at the tender age
Of 19 in his army tank in WWII...sad

We also lost my Dad's Brother
whom i also feel as if i know...
My Uncle Louis Joseph,
whom my Brother was named after ,
was killed in WWII at age 25 sad
in one of 18 ships :cry:
as a Merchant Marine...in the Adriatic Sea,
in December, the 18th, I think, of 1943...


and my Uncle Russ just passed away May 22,
of this year, at age 84...:heart:
He was a paratrooper in World War II drinker
and his wife Louise just passed July 18th :heart: :cry: :heart:

I have such love and respect :heart:
and am in continual awe drinker
of all of our Soldiers smokin
and for those who served :heart:
in all branches of the Military drinker




The Nam era vets were the most grateful (???) for my serving in DS. If it weren't for the HELL that they went through, our gov't might have screwed up again. It's not my intent to insult what they did in Nam, quite the opposite. I honor them. It's just our gov't finally let the soldier fight the war, and not DC.




:heart: smokin drinker smokin :heart: To All of Our Brave & Noble Troops, past & present :heart: smokin drinker smokin :heart:



smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin drinker smokin


Rapunzel's photo
Mon 08/04/08 09:16 AM


Wicc, from one that WAS, to one that IS.. I salute you, Bro..



drinker Thank you immeasurably < Elwood Sully > drinker

smokin and William...< Wiccan Cowboy > smokin

blushing for your priceless gifts of dedication :heart:

:heart: for your long hours, hard work & endless sacrifice drinker

smokin thank you for laying your lives so lovingly down smokin

:heart: & for helping preserve Freedom in the world :heart:






drinker So much love, respect, & endless eternal thanks too, drinker

:heart: to my very dear Brother, Friend & Sweet Love :heart:


smokin drinker smokin {{{{{ <<<<< Brigade >>>>> }}}}}smokin drinker smokin


drinker who is home from his fifth or sixth time in combat drinker


:cry: and going back for another tour very soon. :cry:


flowerforyou I pray for you every second of every day, flowerforyou

:angel: may hosts of heavenly angels keep you safe always :angel:

drinker & Forever Protected from the evil snares of the enemy drinker

:heart: securely hidden in the secret place of the Most High God:heart:



Rapunzel's photo
Sat 08/09/08 11:33 PM
flowerforyou thanking Our dearly beloved Soldiers Tonight flowerforyou


:heart: sending showers of love & blessings upon them :heart:


drinker Protect Them Oh Lord during the deepest darkness of night drinker


glasses & during the day with all the intense heat & exhausting sunlight glasses

Rapunzel's photo
Sun 08/10/08 08:16 AM
Edited by Rapunzel on Sun 08/10/08 08:25 AM
:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

I thanked my awesome Dad yesterday...He is 83

& lives in Florida, across the Country from me...


He was also a Soldier during World War II...

My Daddy had just enlisted for the Army

in the early part of 1943,

at the tender age of 19...

He was stationed over in Europe

with the First Battalion 350th Infantry

or Regiment...Company C in the 88th Division smokin


Thank you Daddy...drinker

I'm so proud of you & love you immensely flowerforyou

:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:



when my Dad was still only 19 or 20, his Brother...

my Uncle Louie was killed by enemy bombs...sad

along with the rest of his ship's crew...:cry:

and the crews of 17 other Merchant Marine shipssad

in the Adriatic Sea on December 18th,
I think ...:cry:

of 1943...at the age of 25...:cry:


I'll never forget you Uncle Louie drinker

I'll never forget Uncle Joe Lukasic, either :heart:

who also gave his life, at age 19 in WWII drinker

I'll always remember your sacrifices...:heart:

and the sacrifices of all the men and women flowerforyou

whom i never got to meet , drinker


those who also paid the ultimate pricesad

with their precious lives :cry:

for their Families, their Country drinker

& for Freedom & Justice in the World :heart:


:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:







Rapunzel's photo
Sun 08/10/08 08:58 AM
America The Land of the Free


How can this be?
America started under British Rule, and would never be free.
With thirteen small colonies we survived it all.
The Indians, French, British, and even the snow storms that pilled up so tall.
Each war America has fought, had a lesson to be taught.
That a big heart filled with pride, made a stronger opponent run and hide.
Freedom was precious to the fore fathers here.
The British war machine we no longer would fear.
A new nation was born with military might; it would never run from a fight.
America Land of the free, and home of the brave.
Our new war machine had nations to save.
We have stood tall for over 230 years.
If an enemy sees our flag with all its glory, for his very life he fears.
Old Glory has been all around this globe, and many have fought for the right To be free.
Today, I thank our veteran’s, without you this would not be.
Against all odds you gave us that right, and our enemy knew you put up one Hell of a fight.

By Randy Ward

LAMom's photo
Sun 08/10/08 09:11 AM
Love & Light
To our Men & Women Around the world

flowerforyou :heart: flowerforyou

HasidicEnforcer's photo
Sun 08/10/08 09:15 AM
I thank them often!

I am surrounded everywhere I go!

I love living by the base!


Oh! I finally went to Fort Riley Friday night to see one of my best friends!

It was breath-taking!


Rapunzel's photo
Mon 08/11/08 10:16 AM
America Is flowerforyou

America, America, I can hear your name all day
America, America, it’s such a beautiful name
Where else can we roam free
Where else brings so much glee
America, America, I can hear your name all day :heart:

Eagle, Eagle, I love to watch you fly
Eagle, Eagle, so strong, powerful and gracious
What else could embody the power of our nation
What else could represent our strength
Eagle, Eagle, I love to watch you fly :heart:

Soldier, Soldier, you risk your life for mine
Soldier, Soldier, for you I’ll always cry
Who else will stand up and fight
Who else will bring the world to right
Soldier, Soldier, you risk your life for mine :heart:

By Matthew Joehnk

Rapunzel's photo
Mon 08/11/08 06:39 PM
The Graveyard
2005


One day, while driving home, I noticed an elderly lady placing a small American flag on a grave at a National Cemetery. Nothing unusual about that but over a period of months I noticed this same lady placing a flag on a few different graves. She would seem to materialize out of the fog with a small handful of flags and place one or two and then slowly amble off.

Summer came and went and the winter winds were blowing as I again passed by the Cemetery going home. Again, I saw the little elderly lady with her hand full of flags, placing them here and there.

Curiosity finally got the better of me and I pulled into the Cemetery entrance, firmly expecting that the old lady would vanish into the wind. However, I noticed her crossing the street and entering into a senior citizens home, the wind blowing her worn black coat against her.

I walked into the home and asked the lady at the desk if she had seen an elderly lady that had just entered wearing a black coat. No, she said, all the residents were at dinner and no one had come in or out for quite a while. Feeling rather foolish I left for my own warm home.

However over the next few months I continued to watch this lady come and go from the home to the cemetery. One hot summer day, I had enough and I confronted the lady at the front desk of the home. I told her that for over a year, I had seen an elderly lady; always wearing black, carrying little flags back and forth across the street.

The lady at the front desk became a little agitated. She asked me to wait until she got her supervisor and we went into a private room. There I relayed my story about the elderly lady with the flags.

After I was finished, the supervisor looked me in the eye and said, "You know I would not even tell you this story unless I was sure of your sincerity." You see, for many years, Mrs. Snowden was a resident here. Her husband had died in World War II, her brother in Korea, her son in Vietnam and her daughter in Desert Storm.

She had them all buried in the cemetery across the street and visited them everyday, always making sure they had new American Flags on their graves. I asked where Mrs. Snowden lived now and the supervisor gave me a strange look.

She said, "Sir, Mrs. Snowden died over a year ago."

Well, I don't really know what I had seen or what it meant. But something inside me changed that day. From that day forward, I helped place little American flags on the graves of our honored dead. Whatever had happen to me made me realize that someone had to remember... Someone had to recognize the sacrifice of those that have given their all for our freedom.

And to this day, when I come to Mrs. Snowden's final resting place, I say a silent prayer. She no longer has to place her little flags on the resting place of her loved ones. She passed that on to me. I picture her in Heaven with her family together again. After all her loss and all her pain she never forgot and she always remained…

A TRUE AMERICAN!

Steven J. Newton

1 3 Next