Cigalert
05-24-2013, 05:51 AM
I'm a bit of a nutbag when it comes to WWII aviation. I have seen countless hours of interview footage propping up frail, wrinkled old great granddads and having them recount extremely vivid memories of a single 27 minute flight evading 47 AA batteries, some centerline 37mm canons and a flock of migrating geese. American long range bomber tailgunners can tell you what color the scarf a 109 pilot was wearing. And the Japanese pilot stories are most interesting considering the propaganda to fuel so much hate for these kids carrying out orders. The Japanese seem proud they served yet full of remorse....the fear and respect for their enemy still shows. But what's happening as of right now....the WWII era military are quickly disappearing.
But it's not the stories that interest me, it's the memories. For the most part, the back stories to the pilots specifically and even more specifically the WWII era military seem to be the most amazing due to their success after the war. They held on to those memories, didn't forget but still forged on to own businesses, start families and ignited a massive boom of quality neighborhoods structured around AMERICAN values.
Outside of my grandfather (mom's side) nobody I'm related to has ever served....actually, my grandfather was on the cleanup crew for Hiroshima. My late FIL was in and out of the Marines for medical reasons before his platoon was sent to Korea. And while I wanted to attend the air force academy since I was about 6 years old, life moved in a different direction. I don't have any gravesites to attend. I don't have memories of war stories I can directly relate to. But I can and always will remember why we have this day of recognition for all those that served.
To those who served on this board that read this, THANK YOU.
To those who lost someone....THANK YOU.
To those who teach their children about how this country came to be...THANK YOU.
To those who know someone who served, talk with them, ask them stories, tell those stories.
To those who have stories, please share them with anyone willing to listen. If not here then with someone. Do not let the memory end with you.
Let us not turn this into a hallmark, mattress sale holiday....let us never forget why this day exist.
Have a safe Memorial holiday
But it's not the stories that interest me, it's the memories. For the most part, the back stories to the pilots specifically and even more specifically the WWII era military seem to be the most amazing due to their success after the war. They held on to those memories, didn't forget but still forged on to own businesses, start families and ignited a massive boom of quality neighborhoods structured around AMERICAN values.
Outside of my grandfather (mom's side) nobody I'm related to has ever served....actually, my grandfather was on the cleanup crew for Hiroshima. My late FIL was in and out of the Marines for medical reasons before his platoon was sent to Korea. And while I wanted to attend the air force academy since I was about 6 years old, life moved in a different direction. I don't have any gravesites to attend. I don't have memories of war stories I can directly relate to. But I can and always will remember why we have this day of recognition for all those that served.
To those who served on this board that read this, THANK YOU.
To those who lost someone....THANK YOU.
To those who teach their children about how this country came to be...THANK YOU.
To those who know someone who served, talk with them, ask them stories, tell those stories.
To those who have stories, please share them with anyone willing to listen. If not here then with someone. Do not let the memory end with you.
Let us not turn this into a hallmark, mattress sale holiday....let us never forget why this day exist.
Have a safe Memorial holiday