Memorial Day...............

My era was Vietnam.....and it was turbulent, to say the least! I was in college in the late 60's and early 70's and there was almost as much fighting in the US over the Vietnam 'conflict' as there was in Vietnam! It was horrible. I know a man that got spit on in the airport after returning from 12 months in Vietnam. He was a Seal, in the Navy and could have killed the person with his bare hands, but he said he was so surprised, he did nothing.

But my dad, and my husband's dad are survivors of WWII. I never thought of my dad as a 'war' hero. He was just my hero. I guess because he was in the war before I was born.

My daddy was drafted into the Kentucky National Guard. Never wanted to leave Kentucky and never wanted to do anything but be a farmer! It didn't end that way, but when I get to heaven, I know I'll have all the tomatoes I can eat!

Dad was in a group named the Avengers of Bataan and I never knew much about it until my daughter did a paper on WWII a year or two back and wanted to make it personal and wrote about her 'pa' in the war. Now, my dad had died about 8 years before, so we got my mom's scrapbook out with all his orders and all the newspaper articles written about his group and it was eye-opening.

"The Avenger's of Bataan"

Commissioned by the 38th Division Association in 1999 to commemorate one of the most important events in the 38th Division's history, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass. Fought in the Phillipines during World War Two, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass was the turning point that led to the surrender of Japanese forces in the Phillipine Islands. As a result of the 38th Division's heroic performance during this battle, General Douglas MacArthur dubbed the 38th, "The Avenger's of Bataan".

Here I am going to copy a short article about what my dad did in the war. A very dangerous area and assignment. But his faith in God was strong, and he told my mom before he left to go oversea (for 22 long months) that God had assured him he would be returning home alive....he always said, he didn't know in what shape, but alive. He had to battle Malaria when he got home, and almost died from that, but never got over the war. Loved John Wayne, but would not even watch him in war movies!

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Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides - The Bataan Death March was just the beginning of the woes American soldiers captured by the Japanese army in the Philippines had to endure. The survivors of the march faced not only their captors' regular brutality (having surrendered, they were considered to be less than honorable foes), but also a host of illnesses such as dysentery and malaria. For three years these "ghost soldiers" lived in misery, suffering terrible losses.
When Army Rangers among Douglas MacArthur's forces arrived in the Philippines, they hatched a daring plan to liberate their captured comrades, a mission that, if successful, would prove to be a tremendous morale booster at the front and at home. Led by a young officer named Henry Mucci (called "Little MacArthur" for his constant pipe as well as his brilliance as a strategist), a combined Ranger and Filipino guerrilla force penetrated far behind enemy lines, attacked Japanese forces guarding Allied prisoners at a jungle outpost called Cabanatuan, and shepherded hundreds of prisoners to safety, with an angry Japanese army in hot pursuit. Amazingly, they suffered only light casualties.

In Ghost Soldiers, journalist Hampton Sides recounts that daring rescue, once known to every American schoolchild but now long forgotten. A gifted storyteller, Sides packs his narrative with detailed descriptions of the principal actors on both sides of the struggle and with moments of danger and exhilaration. Thrilling from start to finish, his book celebrates the heroism of hundreds of warriors and brings renewed attention to one of the Rangers' finest hours. --Gregory McNamee, Editorial Review
I copied this from: http://fizkid.tripod.com/id83.html
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Now this brings it home. I don't know how many parents can watch this without a tear rolling down their cheek....but if you can....shame on you!



God Bless you! Your one of the lucky ones that came home safe and sound....now you'll spend the rest of your life trying to forget those months!

So the next time we see soldiers, let's take the politics out of it. Let's take the example of the video below....it's short....please take the time to watch it.



And I always like to end with music. It's normally new Christian....but somehow that wasn't what grabbed me today............




But for those of you that like the newer stuff.....I love this one too...........


And if you want.....some more salutes to those who serve...........


To honor my father-in-law, Robert George Hortter, received three Purple Hearts and my daddy, Alma Ray Story Born 14, Jun 1917 Died 5 Feb 1997. I miss you daddy, but will be with you in eternity!
And to all who served!