Veteran’s Day here in the USA

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Veteran’s Day here in the USA……… SALUTE.
My dad was in the navy in WWII, his ship got to Pearl Harbor a few weeks after the big attack. I never saw my dad cry, we went through all the things a family goes through but never did I see him cry. Well right before he died my sister had taken my mom and dad to Hawaii for a trip and they stopped off at the battle site for some ceremonies that was going on, my sister said that day he did cried, damned I wish I was there that day
anyway just thought of that and wanted to post it
to all veteran's .... SALUTE

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This from the AP and AOL today ...


WASHINGTON (Nov. 10) - Lloyd Brown remembers Armistice Day in 1918 as few - ever so few - veterans can.

"For the servicemen there were lots of hugs and kisses," recalls Brown, of Charlotte Hall, Md., a teenage seaman aboard the battleship USS New Hampshire, in port stateside when the fighting stopped. "We were so happy that the war was over."

Lloyd Brown still remembers the end of the "Great War." No one knows exactly how many of America's World War I veterans will celebrate Veterans Day but it's probably no more than 50.

Now 104, Brown adds, "There's not too many of us around any more."

No one knows exactly how many of America's World War I veterans will celebrate Veterans Day, which marks the armistice of Nov. 11, 1918, that ended what then was considered the Great War. An estimated 2 million Americans served in Europe after the U.S. entered the war in 1917.

Today, the Veterans Affairs Department lists just eight veterans as receiving disability benefits or pension compensation from service in World War I. It says a few dozen other veterans of the war probably are alive, too, but the government does not keep a comprehensive list.

The Census Bureau stopped asking for data about those veterans years ago. Using a report of 65,000 alive in 1990 as a baseline, the VA estimates that no more than 50 remain, perhaps as few as 30.

World War I, fueled by intense nationalism and conflicting economic and colonial interests, began in the Balkans in 1914 and quickly spread across Europe because of military alliances. The major allied powers were Great Britain, France and Russia, and they were opposed by Germany, Austria-Hungary and a few others.

The U.S. remained neutral even as Germany threatened its shipping and as anti-German sentiment grew among Americans. Congress declared war on Germany in April 1917 at the urging of President Woodrow Wilson. "The world must be made safe for democracy," Wilson said.

More than 10 million troops died before the war ended with Germany's surrender. Of the U.S. troops, more than 116,000 died and more than 200,000 were wounded.

Long-lived veterans are common among America's warriors. The last veteran to fight in the American Revolution died at age 109 in 1869, according to Defense Department statistics.

Other wars and the ages of their last veterans the year they died: the War of 1812, 105, 1905; the Indian Wars, 101, 1973; the Mexican War, 98, 1929; the Civil War, 112, 1958; and the Spanish-American War, 106, 1992.

The ranks of all World War I veterans grow thinner as the months pass. One of France's seven remaining veterans died two weeks ago, and the last Australian to serve in a war zone died a week earlier.

In the U.S., the last known American veteran wounded in the war died at 108 in January 2004. West Virginia's last veteran passed away in October 2004, and Iowa lost its only remaining Great War veteran two months later. An Alabama veteran of the war died last March at 110.

With each death, what was called "the war to end all wars" fades in American memory.

"It's a war that's out of mind," says Sean Flynn, who teaches World War I history at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. "The U.S. entered it late and we have no real connection to it."

Unlike the wars that followed, World War I doesn't have the visual record so important to becoming part of American consciousness, Flynn says. Yet its impact can be linked to many problems facing the world today, including conflict in the Balkans and the rise of Arab nationalism that occurred after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

"We learn about war through television and through film," Flynn says. "There's just not a lot of moving-picture footage of World War I. There's no visual image there for the public to identify with."

Lloyd Brown spends little time thinking about the days his ship escorted convoys in North Atlantic waters threatened by German submarines. Living alone in a house in southern Maryland, just a few blocks from his daughter, Nancy, he does not believe that his war has been forgotten and feels satisfied with the attention paid to its veterans over the years.

"You can't celebrate World War I year after year after year, because there are other events taking place," says Brown, who watches the news each day to keep up with the world. "You have to honor them."

[:FI:Murph]

Salute to all veterans. One of my old landlords years ago had been a combat veteran of the "Great War". I also occasionally met other man who had served in WWI.
My Dad is a Navy veteran of WWII, having flown anti-sub missions out of Florida as a nose gunner in PBYs, and as a gunner's mate, arming and repairing F4Us on Espiritu Santo. He turned 81 years old last August.
My old fishing buddy Phil is now 87. He served in the US Army in the Aleutions.
Hard to believe they were all just kids then.

[:FI:TacticalS!]

And Remembrance Day up here in Canada.

One of the great aspects of enjoying IL-2 has been the desire it gives me to read/watch more WW2 history, and consider what these boys went through in all the various theatres.

[:FI:IceFrog]

And Remembrance Day up here in Canada.

You probably have seen this one but just in case
http://acesofww2.com/Canada/Canada.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Guest]

Few months back at this agriculture show I ran into some very old men in dress uniform, bright red and covered with many medals. They must have been 80-90 and were collecting for the local Veterans. I spoke to him for quite a while, apparently he and his 4 friends faught through not only the 1st world war but the second too. There was supposed to be 5 there but he sadly passed away a couple days before, but in the good ole fighting spirit carried on with they're veteran charity work.

The most amazing thing about it was they were collecting and carrying around buckets fairly full of heavy coins. I usually hate charity and donating, but this one really struck home and worthwhile so I donated a fair some.

They all looked like they were roasting alive under the hot summer sun but the resilience they all had was amazing.

My grand dad was a colour sgt in the second world war, he use to play the tuba, and for fun the bass - oddly I play the bass (electric variety) and various instruments too. He had quite a few medals and my gran has this box of old pics, cards, and various odds and ends - sadly my grand dad died christmas a couple years ago and I'll miss his war stories big time.

NC

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