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Memorial Day...
May. 25th, 2009 01:39 pmThinking back....
In my family military service as been a tradition. I served in the Air Force from 1968-1972, stationed in Berlin with the 6912th Security Service, playing 'spook' watching the Poles during the 'Cold War'. I was lucky, many of my classmates were in Viet Nam, and many returned in body bags. They died fighting a war based on lies. The truth will be known some day, and we'll add more names to those presidents who lied as soldiers died.
My Dad and my uncles served in World War II. My Dad worked keeping the pilots in training airborne and keeping their planes running. He was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. My Uncle Doug served in the Army working logistics on the other end of the Panama Canal. My Uncle Jimmy served in the Pacific fighting from one beachhead to another as they repelled the Japanese.
I look around nowdays and see generations that are fighting other wars, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan. Let's hope they get the help they will need after they serve, they deserve that. No veteran should be living on the street, suffering from the trauma of war. We have thousand of 'walking wounded', a byproduct of our addiction to war. If the politicians want war, they need to pay the price, the whole price, by providing free and quality medical and mental health care for all veterans.
Lastly I think back on my college roommate, Don Slikkerveer, USAF Major, pilot of a C130A, retired. He suffered from 5 tours of Viet Nam, a few other tours flying an unmarked plane into places we should not have been (Cambodia, and Laos), and making too many flights back to Hawaii carrying a plane load of bodies of comrades. He had been in the Congo when the Belgium citizens were evacuated (the original Congo Crisis), he was there when we invaded the Dominican Republic, He was in Grenada, as we 'rescued' medical students from a 'communist' regime. He was always in the hot spots, he liked to fly, he liked living on the edge.
Finally the ghosts in his head drove him to drinking, about a fifth of scotch a day, maybe more. His liver finally gave out, he was hospitalized, and never recovered. He was another victim of Viet Nam and other battles. He died for his country, even though the death was self inflicted.
So remember, this day is to those who died. Its not just another day to get drunk and party. By creating three day holidays too many holidays have lost thier meaning, but I urge you not to forget.
In my family military service as been a tradition. I served in the Air Force from 1968-1972, stationed in Berlin with the 6912th Security Service, playing 'spook' watching the Poles during the 'Cold War'. I was lucky, many of my classmates were in Viet Nam, and many returned in body bags. They died fighting a war based on lies. The truth will be known some day, and we'll add more names to those presidents who lied as soldiers died.
My Dad and my uncles served in World War II. My Dad worked keeping the pilots in training airborne and keeping their planes running. He was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. My Uncle Doug served in the Army working logistics on the other end of the Panama Canal. My Uncle Jimmy served in the Pacific fighting from one beachhead to another as they repelled the Japanese.
I look around nowdays and see generations that are fighting other wars, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan. Let's hope they get the help they will need after they serve, they deserve that. No veteran should be living on the street, suffering from the trauma of war. We have thousand of 'walking wounded', a byproduct of our addiction to war. If the politicians want war, they need to pay the price, the whole price, by providing free and quality medical and mental health care for all veterans.
Lastly I think back on my college roommate, Don Slikkerveer, USAF Major, pilot of a C130A, retired. He suffered from 5 tours of Viet Nam, a few other tours flying an unmarked plane into places we should not have been (Cambodia, and Laos), and making too many flights back to Hawaii carrying a plane load of bodies of comrades. He had been in the Congo when the Belgium citizens were evacuated (the original Congo Crisis), he was there when we invaded the Dominican Republic, He was in Grenada, as we 'rescued' medical students from a 'communist' regime. He was always in the hot spots, he liked to fly, he liked living on the edge.
Finally the ghosts in his head drove him to drinking, about a fifth of scotch a day, maybe more. His liver finally gave out, he was hospitalized, and never recovered. He was another victim of Viet Nam and other battles. He died for his country, even though the death was self inflicted.
So remember, this day is to those who died. Its not just another day to get drunk and party. By creating three day holidays too many holidays have lost thier meaning, but I urge you not to forget.
