Taken from here years ago and used every year since.
A couple of the many I remember.
I never knew my grandpa, lung CA took him when I was 6 months old. Started smoking in boot camp in WWII.
Ran a flame thrower from just after DDay on through till he came home. Guess he told stories to my dad (his SIL) of the morphine pills the flame thrower guys got everyday to numb them from burning guys alive. He always had problems when he came home and I guess the fireworks on the 4th would make him shake and cry.
One of my good friends from the FD was on 2 tours on a medivac bird in Iraq as a crew chief in the National Guard. He never recovered from seeing so many guys his own age shot up so bad and dying in front of him and is still living in a bottle. He has had some great sober moments and always goes back so far.
These two guys came home and still paid the price, as many here know all about.
A heartfelt Thank You to each and everyone of you who ever served.