Veterans Day service in the park

Foul Mike

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 18, 2001
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Eastern Colorado
We had a nice Veterans Day service in the park here in River City.
All races creeds and colors were present, Black, brown, yellow, red, white, you name it, they were there.
A local Lady sang the National Anthem, very nice and she has a good voice.
When it ended a WW2 Vet, who is known to be pretty salty, hollered as loud as he could,"I sure as Hell am glad nobody kneeled as I am too old to kick much Ass but I would bet I could find some help."
Everyone in the crowd laughed at that one. FM
 
Good to hear FM! Sounds like Y'all had a good day.
We had a little ceremony here in East Elknuts Montana today. A fellow VN Vet gave his traditional armistice day history lesson, a few folks stepped up and recounted days gone bye. Get to see guys I haven't seen since last year. Veterans from WWII, Korea, RVN, Desert Storm,Afghanistan, were in attendance.
The local ladies served up a darned good lunch free to the Vets and their spouses. My bride and her pal furnished this lunch free for eight or nine years. The last two years the American Legion Auxillary has taken that over. ( Yup my bride is still cooking ). All in all life is good in the hinterland.
 
Rather than start a new Veteran's Day thread, I'll graciously piggyback off yours if you will.

This is just one of the many reasons why General/Secretary Mattis is one of the greatest leaders of all time.

This morning, I visited a quiet, out-of-the-way plot of Arlington National Cemetery known as Section 60. Being Veterans Day, the Cemetery was packed with tourists and volunteers, schoolchildren and general well-wishers. The crowds at Arlington's main gate jostled shoulder-to-shoulder to see the Tomb of the Unknowns, or visit Kennedy's Eternal Flame. Some had arms full of flags to plant, row by row, stone by stone.

These aren't the people you see at Section 60.

Section 60 is a newer plot of Arlington National Cemetery, where most of the recent American casualties of war are laid to rest. I visit this plot because two men I knew were buried here, about eight rows apart. One of those men hardened me into a soldier; the other helped soften me into a leader.

While visiting their graves, I met a lone man walking the stones at Section 60. Far away from cameras and fanfare, Defense Secretary James Mattis spent his Veterans Day with the recent fallen. I watched him listen patiently to stories from surviving friends and family members. An old man visiting his Marine son's grave told Mattis that he was his boy's hero; the Warrior Monk smiled sadly and said that the old man's son was one of his.

James Mattis is one of those living legends who transcends politics and ideology. His job is his life, and that job is the welfare of this country and its service members. This Veterans Day, I send a special thanks to James Mattis, for not taking today off.

 
I agree, James Mattis is a great guy and no, I don't feel you are hijacking my OP, all is welcome here.
The old Gentleman? I mentioned in my first post is about 90 something and has always been known to speak his mind no matter what the subject or who was around to hear it. He would not like it if you called him a Gentleman to his face. He still gets around rather well under his own power and is known to tip a few with younger Vets at the Legion. He was a hard worker all of his life and very fair with others and from what I have been told a real hoot to work with.
When he hollered that out it was surprisingly loud and clear.
He was as serious as he could be and did not mean it to be funny, but damn, I about laughed my ass off and so did everyone else only to get a crusty stare from the Old Man.
I will miss him when he is gone. FM
 
No, I am not the Stud.
That Old WW2 Vet is the Stud. Tell it like it is and mince no words.
I wish there were more like him around from any generation or any war.
We will all miss people like him, no matter their age or what war they served in .
They tell it like they see it or hear it or feel it. Regards, FM