Lest we Forget

[Darkside2009]

Today is the day we celebrate the ending of World War 2 in Europe, might I suggest that you take a few moments from your busy day to reflect on this event.

To those from all the Allied Nations that lost their lives in the struggle for freedom, to those that returned, maimed or wounded to a life of hardship.

To their families, that bore the brunt of this grief and had the arduous task of dealing with the trauma that ensued.

To all of them I offer my heart-felt gratitude, a simple thank you will never seem enough for the sacrifices they had to make, but I offer it as a small token of my undying respect for their courage and resolve. God Bless you.

If you know any veterans personally, please spare a few moments from your day to thank them and perhaps buy them a drink, or render them whatever assistance they need, as a token of your appreciation.

[Long Duck Dong]

I have sat and drank with many of them in NZ.... including vets from overseas.....

they wear medals and tell stories of war and suffering, and we forget that they are people like us, that feel, think, cry and laugh like us.... and they need to be thanked for being who they are, not judged for what they went, for they still suffer and will do til the day they die

for many of them, the war never ended... it remains a haunting memory every time they close their eyes, .. it became a nightmare for them when they came home to the heroes welcome.. and when the ticker tape parades stopped, the medals handed out, and the stories written, they became forgotten... mentioned in books and stories... as soldiers, nurses and resistance fighters.....

I have sat and drunk with them, people like me and you... ordinary, every day people... and lived, laughed and cried with them... and shared my own story of service with them.....

lest we forget the people that have fallen and those that remain, as we ask those around us, not to forget that we are people too....

hug a vet and say thank you,... just thank you.... the reason doesn't matter so much as them hearing you acknowledge them as people that still matter.....

lest we forget........

[Realist]

Recently, I saw an old man in the mall. He was wearing a cap with "WW II VETERAN" on it, he was sitting in a wheel chair, both legs were off above his knees. He was waiting for someone inside the store, I assumed.

People were walking by, not looking at him.......it was like he was invisible.

I went over and sat on a bench by him and told him that I'd been in the Army, too. In the late 50's, I was in a tank outfit, too.........stationed in Germany, in the 7th Army. I was also in the Air Force, during Vietnam.

His face lit up and we shook hands. I sat there for a while and talked. He was so happy to be talking to a veteran! He'd been in tanks, too, and said he wished he'd had the ones we did!

I told him that in 7 years of service, I'd never been in combat. I would have done what I was asked to, but they didn't send me. I've always felt a little ashamed that I hadn't been in a "hot zone".

He said that's OK, "You served!"

The poor old guy had been the only survivor, when his tank was hit by a German 88. He lost his legs, but survived. What a sacrifice!

Still, he said, others gave more!

Say what you will about politics and wars; I admire those who did what they thought was right and did such amazingly brave things.

We owe a lot to the military, especially those of the world wars.