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December 7, 2011

A Day That Will Live In Infamy




According to statistics released by the Veteran’s Administration, our World War II vets are dying at a rate of 740 a day. This means there are approximately only 1.7 million veterans remaining of the 16 million who served our nation in World War II.

NEVER FORGET.

For the past few days my wife and I have been watching "Band of Brothers" again. The episode that deals with the Battle of the Bulge always gets to her because of the scenes of the wounded GI's. Her Uncle Mike was in Bastogne with the 82nd Airborne when he was seriously wounded by sharpnel. He survived the war. Unfortunately he died  a few months before I met his niece in February of 1979.  Here's to you Big Mike.

8 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Once the children of those vets are gone, the era will become ancient history to all that are left, with all of its lessons for naught.

Andy said...

@Gorges Smythe, that will be a sad day indeed. For this generation, service is what someone else performs as less than 1% of 'em have worn a uniform. Sacrifice is something they see on TV. Because they have no skin in the game, they've no concept of just how precious this thing called Liberty is.

MSgt, USAF (Ret)
7/1980 -- 8/2000

Lady Gunslinger said...

Just think about how much safer a place we would be living in today if we handled Sept 11th the way we did Dec 7th.

Anonymous said...

I lost a uncle in the war.
I have been watching Letters from Iwo Jima.It is nery good.

sig94 said...

Gorges - I fear yopu are absolutely correct since they no longer teach real history to our children in school. It must still be up to us to pass along our values to our children and grandchildren.

sig94 said...

Andy - thank you for your service. It's all about getting free stuff now - free being that someone else pays for it.

sig94 said...

Maggie - sad to say but as a nation we lack the resolve of preceeding generations.

sig94 said...

FuzzyD - Yes, Letters was a good flic, a very good flic. We lost a friend of the family a few years ago who was on Iwa. He never spoke to anyone about it except to my wife's dad who fought in Germany. There is something about that kind of combat that most men wish to forget forever. God bless and keep your uncle.