Today is Memorial Day and it is a time for us to remember those who gave their lives during military service as well as those older warriors who are passing every day.
We just lost the last US veteran of WWI, Frank Buckles, on February 28th and WWII vets are leaving us by the thousand every day and not to mention the troops that are currently dieing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We are loosing our national treasure at an alarming rate.
I have also had contact with a few guys who served in my dad's Army unit during WWII... 63rd Infantry Division ("Blood and Fire"), 255th Infantry Regiment, Company L. To make a long story short, one of them invited me to their reunion in Indiana. Bob, 87 years old, wasn't sure how many more reunions there will be since "there aren't many more of us left". How very sad for us all.
Yesterday, on "Sunday Morning", there was a segment on Tom Day who founded "Bugles Across America" in 2000. He and 7,500 volunteers make sure there is an actual bugler at ever veteran's funeral playing taps. What a wonderful way to show respect and appreciation!
Again another sad statistic ... they estimate a half a million veterans will die every year for the next seven years. Imagine that!
I know I can't bugle nor would I even try, but there's something I will do today. I will make a donation to Bugles Across America as well as the 63rd Infantry Division's reunion fund. I will also take out one of my dad's war time pictures and say a short prayer to him, his war time buddies and the fathers of my friends who served. I will simply thank them for their service and for enabling me to be who I am.
God bless them all!!
Check out the link to Bugles Across America: www.buglesacrossamerica.org and the 63rd Infantry Division: 63rdinfdiv.com
