This thread is intended to honor our veterans as Veterans Day approaches. 

This post will serve as a warning to all CGCS members that this is not the place for any negativity about U.S. foreign policy or the war in Iraq.  There are thousands of other threads to discuss those issues.  If you can't make a positive comment here about these veterans, please put your comment in another thread. 

Thank you.
CGCS Administrators

The attached photo was taken on a friendly day during WWII . The photo was taken on the island of Kiriwina, a part of the Trobriand Island group which is located east of New Guinea.

The date was in the spring of 1943. All was quiet that day. The natives on the island were very friendly to the American soldiers. They spoke a sort of pidgin English which is hard to describe, it is sort of a sing song dialect.
In this picture, the native and I are holding a model of a ' waga ', a boat made by the islanders which they used for off shore fishing. These natives are a very small people, just a notch above pygmies which makes me look tall when, in fact, I am a short person, myself, about 5'-7" at that time, and even shorter now.

At the time of the photo I was 20 years old.

The island of Kiriwina was taken by the infantry, I believe in 1942, with no resistance as there were no Japanese troops there. The value to the military of this island was an airstrip used as a staging area for our bombers which went out on bombing runs constantly.

My outfit was a 155MM Coast Artillery Battalion, set up to defend the island against a possible invasion by the Japanese( which never came ). However for several months in 1943-1944, they conducted air raids constantly, mainly against the airstrip, trying to bomb it out of operation. This airstrip was about 2 miles from our gun positions and periodically they would lay a few bombs on us, just to let us know they were aware of our existence.

Tokyo Rose, the English speaking propaganda person, must have liked us because she frequently mentioned us by name on her radio broadcasts, telling us that our camouflage efforts to hide our guns were pathetic and we would soon find out what a real air force was like, etc.etc. She also liked to remind us how much fun our girl friends and wives were having making out with the men that were still in the U.S. I honestly do not remember anyone taking her seriously on that subject, we all knew she was trying to destroy our morale.

Actually, at that time the Japanese Air Force did control the skies, but as time went by, our planes became better and more numerous and the situation changed.

This is just a small sketch of a tiny part of the United States military. In those times, there was a great feeling of pride in being part of a force against a common enemy. We knew our government and the people back home were totally on our side. We had a great president, Franklin D. Roosevelt who leveled with the people who put him in office.

Any comparison between FDR and the one who occupies the same office today can only be a figment of wishful imagination.

A.B.



http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/for...&cmd=si&img=368

Nice hearing your voice again, A.B. What a nice looking young man you were!

Thank you, ma'am.

A.B.

My 13 year old son wrote this poem to honor our veterans and those who are actively serving.
His  poem is one of 17 that were chosen (out of several hundred) by his Middle School to be read at their Veterans' Day Assembly. His school is also planting two spruce trees to honor members of our military. His poem expresses the symbolism of these spruce trees. A  time capsule with these poems will be buried next to the newly planted trees.
Veteran's Day

We have this day
For those who fought strong
In all  the painful wars
That lasted so long

They risked their lives
Never surrendered to fear
All for us
And their families, so dear

So we place this memorial
And plant these spruce trees
To honor and thank them
For their hard work over seas

The roots are the soldiers
Who have passed away
The trunk represents
Those who are still serving us today

The outstreatched branches
Are those who someday will be
Here to protect us
And keep us free

Veteran's day must not be forgotten
I will always remember what the soldiers have done
From their strength and courage
We have our freedoms, hard won.

On this Veteran's Day I wanted to post somethin' special for all my old shipmates, livin' and otherwise. 'Tis the Navy Hymn, but if you pay attention to the words (which methinks few do) you'll find all facets of the uniformed services are covered. On this day think 'bout it, and those 'tis for, eh?

Eternal Father, Strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee,
for those in peril on the sea.

Eternal Father, grant, we pray
To all Marines, both night and day,
The courage, honor, strength, and skill
Their land to serve, thy law fulfill;
Be thou the shield forevermore
From every peril to the Corps.

Lord, stand beside the men who build
And give them courage, strength, and skill.
O grant them peace of heart and mind,
And comfort loved ones left behind.
Lord, hear our prayer for all Seabees,
Where'er they be on land or sea.

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky,
Be with them always in the air,
In dark'ning storms or sunlight fair.
O, Hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air.

Lord God, our power evermore,
Who arm doth reach the ocean floor,
Dive with our men beneath the sea;
Traverse the depths protectively.
O hear us when we pray, and keep
them safe from peril in the deep.

O God, protect the women who,
in service, faith in thee renew;
O guide devoted hands of skill
And bless their work within thy will;
Inspire their lives that they may be
Examples fair on land and sea.

Creator, Father, who dost show
Thy splendor in the ice and snow,
Bless those who toil in summer light
And through the cold Antarctic night,
As they thy frozen wonders learn;
Bless those who wait for their return.

Eternal Father, Lord of hosts,
Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts.
Protect them from the raging seas
And give them light and life and peace.
Grant them from thy great throne above
The shield and shelter of thy love.

Eternal Father, King of birth,
Who didst create the heaven and earth,
And bid the planets and the sun
Their own appointed orbits run;
O hear us when we seek they grace
For those who soar through outer space.

Creator, Father, who first breathed
In us the life that we received,
By power of they breath restore
The ill, and men with wounds of war.
Bless those who give their healing care,
That life and laughter all may share

God, who dost still the restless foam,
Protect the ones we love at home.
Provide that they should always be
By thine own grace both safe and free.
O Father, hear us when we pray
For those we love so far away.

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
And those who on the ocean ply;
Be with our troops upon the land,
And all who for their country stand:
Be with these guardians day and night
And may their trust be in they might.

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
and calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee,
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Thank you,

Most of you know me as Mrs. [Noonan] and see me around school from time to time. About 5 years, 3 1/2 months ago, most people knew me as SrA [D].  I served for five years in the United States Air Force as an orthotics technician, making braces for injured and disabled airmen and veterans and their families, helping make life easier for those that had been wounded in service to our country, people that broke their leg, or simply people that needed arch supports. Even though I may not agree with the recent events in Iraq, I am very proud to be a US Citizen, and an Air Force Veteran. I am also very proud of what our men and women in uniform have sacrificed in order for us to enjoy the life we lead today.

I come from a family with a long tradition of military service. My grandfather was also in the Air Force; he served during WW2 in the Pacific. His grandfather was a member of the Great White Fleet, sent around the world by Teddy Roosevelt to show the world the United States was a force to be reckoned with. My uncle served in Vietnam. He stepped on a land mine and lost his leg below his knee. My brother-in-law recently returned from a year in Iraq part of the Texas Reserves. My own brother, a diesel mechanic in the air force, served for four months in Iraq as well, and will most likely return there in the future before his time in the Air Force is through. My sister also served in the Air Force as an air traffic controller. She was lucky enough to avoid going to Iraq before she left the Air Force. I have a cousin who is a veteran and served 4 years in the Army and 2 cousins currently serving in the United States Navy.

War has changed all of our lived dramatically. My brother is much more serious and quiet than before he experienced war first hand. He doesn’t like to talk about what he saw, but I know his actions since he has returned make my father cry. My brother-in-law simply says it was the worst experience in his life. They have shown me that war is not glorious. It is not what we see in the movies, no matter how gory it may be to us.

My favorite movie is “Band of Brothers”. It isn’t because of the fighting and gore, but because of the bond that forms between the men. This bond is similar to what I feel for the people I served with during my time in the military. Even though we served during peacetime, I will always remember them. What makes this even more potent to me is that I may never have joined the military.

I never would have imagined going into the military when I was in high school. All I knew was that I didn’t want to live with my parents anymore, and I wanted to get out of [our home town]. Working at Angeli’s wasn’t something I wanted to do my whole life, and working on saving money for college was not as easy as I thought it would be so, college wasn’t for me at the time. My older brother had joined the Air Force and encouraged me that – anything he could do, I could do.
Little did I know that this decision would change my life!

After I joined, one of my sisters did as well. All three of us loved our life in the Air Force, loved the chance to travel and further our education – learning skills we could use in the civilian world if we ever left the military.

I met many people like I see watching the ceremony today: vets from WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and the first Gulf War. They would tell me stories as I worked on them. I came to learn that, for all of them, the bonds of brother- and sisterhood brought about by war last forever, and even those who did not return after the war remain with them forever. As I mentioned before, what you see in movies is true, but doesn’t tell you the whole story. I did not serve during wartime, but I have seen the effects war has upon our soldiers. There are many of these heroes among us today and living in our community. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude for all they gave up in order for future generations. I know that’s not what they talk about in the foxholes, but its what they were truly fighting for.

After I met my husband and decided to move back home, my past experience in the Air Force continued to open doors for me. Either the job skills I learned, or the mere fact I was a veteran opened doors for me when looking for work. Most recently, I have been able to take college classes as I work towards a degree because of the GI Bill. Wisconsin even goes so far as to reimburse tuition costs for veterans who do well in school. My experiences in the Air Force have made me the person I am today.

Because of my career in the military, I was able to participate in politics and share the stage with John Kerry just last year. I’ve rubbed elbows with people running for Congress, shook hands with state leaders and continue to hear from people around the state that want me to continue to help with one cause or another. People look to me as a leader, knowing that I have had the training provided by my drill instructors during basic, and the officers and NCOs that ‘helped me’ through my years in the Air Force.

I’d like to finish by talking to the students of [this] High School. I have helped my husband send the donated goods you have donated in the past. I’ve seen the outpouring of love you students have for our troops. At my sister’s wedding this past summer, everyone “our age” had served in the military. All the groomsmen there had received care packages from [this] High School. They wanted me to pass along their thanks for making their lives easier. This school may not always get the best coverage from the local media, but the troops your efforts have touched will remember the can of soup, or the pillow, or the letter you wrote, for a long time. The war isn’t over, your friends and neighbors are there now, please continue to bring goods in to help our troops. Write a letter or send an email, chat online; any message from home will mean more to someone than you can understand. If you didn’t notice as you walked into the lecture hall today, the pictures you passed are all people from [here] that have served in wartime. Many of them are not much older than the high school students here today.

What you probably don’t learn about in school is the impact our small town has upon our nation. But in every war this country has fought, [our town] has sent soldiers to fight. The most recent war being fought by our friends today is just the most recent, and I am afraid it will not be the last. It is to these troops, as well as the ones that came before them and are sitting in this room today, that we owe our freedom and gratitude. I ask you today and every day, to keep those that have served our country in wartime – the people sitting around you right now – as well as those in Iraq right now, in your prayers. When you see a vet, please thank them for what you have. Don’t make Veterans’ Day be only on November 11th, let it live throughout the year through you.

Thank you.

The Wages of War
Old soldiers know the human price of battle. What history teaches us about how vets truly think.
By Jonathan Darman
Newsweek

Nov. 14, 2005 issue - Italy, late May 1944. The Allied Army advanced on Rome and suffered a brutal counterattack. Hunkered down near the beaches of Anzio, a 23-year-old Army private from Oak Ridge, Tenn., sent a despondent letter home. "Take a combination of fear, anger, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, loneliness, homesickness," Paul Curtis wrote to a younger brother who wanted to know about war, "and you might approach the feelings a fellow has." Nothing can ease his depression, not even the prospect that the war might end. He is certain that war will "rise again." After all, he writes, "peace will be settled by men who have never known combat and ... hold no dread of another war for they don't know."

Old soldiers have always led America. They've shown us how to love our country, revere our military and honor our war dead. More softly, they've warned of the dangers of wishing for war. "It is well that war is so terrible," said Robert E. Lee, or else "we should grow too fond of it," and soldiers have echoed him from Antietam to Iraq. Now, as we celebrate another Veterans Day, we welcome home a new generation of soldiers. If history is a guide, only a few of these new veterans will join antiwar movements; most will proudly support their country in any future entanglements it may face. But many of those returning from Afghanistan and Iraq will doubtless join a tradition of brave veterans who quietly hate war. They can teach us why war is never romantic, but may sometimes be worth fighting all the same.

Fighting soldiers fall quickly out of love with war. Living in cramped quarters, stripped of their individuality, they find their youthful dreams of glorious war alien and strange. "I once had a dim notion about the 'romance of a soldier's life'," wrote a Union soldier after the first Battle of Manassas. "I have bravely got over it since." In World War II, "anybody who was involved with killing and being killed was disillusioned from the start," says the war historian Paul Fussell. "You can't go through that kind of combat without becoming disillusioned."

Some veterans voice their feelings clearly. Gen. William T. Sherman's admonition that "war is hell" is often remembered for its irony (Sherman was the cruelest prosecutor of the Civil War in the South). Forgotten is Sherman's audience, a graduating class of military cadets. Seeing hunger for war rising among his listeners, Sherman offered simple advice: "Suppress it." Adults can be equally susceptible to romantic notions of wars. "The intellectual community is apt to say we have to 'do something'," Gen. Colin Powell wrote in 1995. "But in the end, it is the armed forces that bring back the body bags and have to explain why to parents." Some even give up all illusions of noble service. "Never mind about the glory of a uniform," a Korean War veteran wrote to a friend considering enlistment. "There are too many dead & maimed glorious & honour bound boys."

Other old soldiers are always hungry for a fight. Theodore Roosevelt was in love with war when he stormed San Juan Heights and never lost his romantic sense of combat. Even at the death of his son Quentin in World War I, Roosevelt was triumphant: the boy had "had his crowded hour." ("My other boys are just as daring," Roosevelt bragged when responding to a letter of condolence. "If the war lasts, they will all be killed unless they are so crippled as to be sent home.") As a young lieutenant colonel in World War I, George S. Patton came under heavy fire in the St-Mihiel offensive. Remembering his grandfather, a fallen Confederate general, he concluded it was his noble destiny to be "another Patton" who died on the field of war. (He lived and went on to command campaigns on two continents in World War II.)

Other military families are less eager for combat; still, if it's war, their sons will fight. Some think it dangerous to dwell on war's horrors. Man's "destiny is battle," said the thrice-wounded Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. "If it is our business to fight, the book for the army is a war-song, not a hospital-sketch."

Veterans who speak openly of war's evil, though, say honesty can help us in future fights. History may be on their side. Combat had no romance after World War I; a generation had been lost for nothing but the dreams of dead kings. But when darkness fell again in Europe, the weary West stood up to fight in World War II. "We are all conscientious objectors," said the English writer Rupert Croft-Cooke, "and all in the war."

It is the privilege of the old soldier, then, to speak realistically of war, and idealistically of peace. Another privilege: speaking for those who did not live to speak for themselves. At the end of his letter home, Paul Curtis, the downtrodden Army private, ventured that "all new men" shared his hatred for combat. He wondered if old men felt differently and if someday he would feel differently, too. We cannot know. Three days after writing his letter, Curtis was struck down in combat, just south of Rome.