Yesterday I had FNC on while going in and out of the house doing chores. I caught a few moments of a show that was a Memorial Day special and it looked interesting but the day wasn't done so I was back at it. I came in late and checked to see if it was rebroadcast and it was so I sat down with a Bud (or two) and watched it. The moderator was a FNC personality and vet named Hesketh. The panel was the Luttrel brothers, a 75th Ranger capt. who had a leg amputated and redeployed several times after and a member of the US House who was a pilot in the middle east.
The discussion goes to VA, PTSD, ROEs, etc. and finally gets to Memorial Day. The 75th Capt. opines that people should party like hell on Memorial Day because that's what those who have passed would have wanted. One of the Luttrells takes it up and suggests that it should be more personal. His thought was pick someone who died in war and have a party for him. He allows that the guy (gal) will probably come down and attend. He also suggests that if it's someone you know and you see him, it might be time to ease up on the beer.
It struck me and I had one of those why the f--k didn't I think of that moments. In my high school class of '65 only one classmate died in RVN. His name was David Oberle. I knew him but he was just another kid in the class and certainly not someone I would have expected to be a Marine rifleman. He died on Oct 17 1967 in Quang Tri Prov., RVN. It's Memorial Day so my wife and I had burgers and I hoisted one for David. Next year I'm going to make it a little more formal. I'm going to show the grand kids how to find David's info. The appointed time will be 3PM as declared by Congressional order. We will tell the world the partie's for David and have a hell'uva time. The year after I'll have the kids find another hero.
Hopefully it will become a tradition in my family. It would be a great tradition in yours.
The discussion goes to VA, PTSD, ROEs, etc. and finally gets to Memorial Day. The 75th Capt. opines that people should party like hell on Memorial Day because that's what those who have passed would have wanted. One of the Luttrells takes it up and suggests that it should be more personal. His thought was pick someone who died in war and have a party for him. He allows that the guy (gal) will probably come down and attend. He also suggests that if it's someone you know and you see him, it might be time to ease up on the beer.
It struck me and I had one of those why the f--k didn't I think of that moments. In my high school class of '65 only one classmate died in RVN. His name was David Oberle. I knew him but he was just another kid in the class and certainly not someone I would have expected to be a Marine rifleman. He died on Oct 17 1967 in Quang Tri Prov., RVN. It's Memorial Day so my wife and I had burgers and I hoisted one for David. Next year I'm going to make it a little more formal. I'm going to show the grand kids how to find David's info. The appointed time will be 3PM as declared by Congressional order. We will tell the world the partie's for David and have a hell'uva time. The year after I'll have the kids find another hero.
Hopefully it will become a tradition in my family. It would be a great tradition in yours.
