Special Day!!!!!
 

Tomorrow is Veterans Day! Many Vets will be traveling tomorrow as they do every day. My request goes to all of you who will be in terminals and planes tomorrow to be mindful of one particular group of veterans. Our living history from WWII are dieing at an increasing rate, soon they will be gone.

When you see an elderly gentleman tomorrow. ask him if he served. If he says yes take a moment and ask him where he served! Perhaps he......

Was the one of the men who stood beside my uncle as their Higgin Boat sped to Omaha Beach only to one of 2 beside my uncle who survived from that boat.

scrambled to a machine gun and returned fire at Pearl Harbor!

landed in Italy as we started to retake Europe

assualted the Islands of the Pacific!

served in a submarine, or aircraft!

just peeled potato's at Fort Riley

Maybe the reason he is flying is to visit an army buddy or attend a reunion. Or to visit a distant battlefield in a far off land. Perhaps to lay a wreath in one of the gardens of stone that dot the world with those who paid with their lives so that we could grow up Free!

Remember to say "Thank you for fighting for my freedom" Some of the greatest moments in my 48 years have been in he company of the men & women who fought WWII. Millions of citizen soldiers answered the call to the service of their country! Now that they a
are in the twilight of their lives let's let them know we NEVER forgot them. Take the time, the rewards are many.



[This message has been edited by PineyBob (edited 11-10-2002).]

What a nice thought! My husband is a vet and I will give hime a big hug. It is unfortunate some people do not appreciate all the US had done for them. Our own citizens and those from other countries who constantly cast stones at this great country of ours!

Thank You for the reminder and the great suggestion!

Thank you. We owe these folks everything we have in the free world today. About a year ago, I got to talking with a WWII vet (USMC) at Dulles airport. He was flying alone to San Diego for a reunion with his WWII buddies. He participated in the invasion of Okinawa and was probably late 70s. I was on a business trip and had been upgraded to first on an AA 757 (to LAX). Checked first to make sure it was ok with the agent, then traded boarding cards with him. Not sure he understood what was going on, but an FA came back later in the flight and thanked me. Turns out it was the first time he'd ever flown in F and he was having a heck of a time. Least I could do for someone who did so much for us.

God Bless you Greg! I could fill Randy's servers with my feelings on this. I thought I'd save some space for you guys! LOL

Perhaps if you folks in first could find a vet to trade out with it would be soooooo cool.

My grandmother was sooo proud of her 2 boys. My uncle who as mentioned landed on Omaha got wounded there, ended up in Patton's Third Army Corps, 90th Infantry Division which served in the Battle of the Bulge, moving on to liberate some of the death camps. And my Dad who was 17 in 1945 enlisted the first business day after his birthday July 3rd. He trained for the invasion of Japan in the 426th Ordnance Training battallion. He was shipped to Yokohama as part of the Army of Occupation. He contracted Rhuematic Fever and subsequesntly succembed to the disease when I was 13 in 1968.

What made them "Special"??? Not a thing! just 2 of millions of citizen soldiers. I saw my dads picture when he graduated from artillery school and he was so young! He was just a boy, like so many others in the photo. I often wonder what my uncle thought as he stood in that Higgins Boat under enemy fire on June 6th. As he lay there on the beach a Nazi bullet through his right shoulder. I remember him telling me about how he didn't eat for several days when they liberated the camps. He gave his rations to the victims.

There are son many stories out there. Take the time to listen.

Thanks, PineyBob . A very good idea.

I (and the whole Martel clan here in Switzerland) like US-Veteran's day a lot. Until recently, my father (he is now 88, still going relativly strong) every year got an invitation to some US pilots reunions - pilots that were 'stranded' during the second-world-war against our northern or southern neighbours in Europe and by some miraculous wonders made it (from Southern Germany or Northern Italy) to my country.

During their involunteer stay here, instead of being held in camps, many allied-pilots got their quarters in private swiss households until the war ended.

We still have close family-contacts with some 10 pilots from the USA and UK who stayed at my parents or grandparents home 1944/-45. One of these families still host us (Gisela and I) every year when we visit the US-Tennis Open in New York. To many of these US- and UK-family members we were also able to tour them around the Alps (Wengen) since.

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 11-10-2002).]

I'll be remembering Bob Weinstein of Wyckoff, NJ, who passed away yesterday morning. Bob was looking forward to a trip to Prague in the Summer of 2003 for the 58th anniversary gathering of his U.S. Army unit. RIP, Bob.

Sorry to hear about Bob from Wykoff, NJ. That's about 100 miles north of me I think. The Bob Weinsteins of the world were the onus for this post and thread! Most WWII Vets are mid-70's to late 80's. There will not be to many Veterans Days left that will have relatively healthy folks left to tell the stories. It is important that their stories DON"T Die with them!

Most people don't know this but Gen. Eisenhower rotated as many troops as possible through the death camps. He wanted to make sure that as many soldiers as possible saw the horror of Auschwitz, etc so that NO ONE could say it was a rumor and never happened. When their living history is gone, it's gone forever. Talk to them, the rewards are endless.!

...I walked by The Wall today as the names were being read off and I said my silent thank you....

You know what really irritates me? A lot of companies don't give their employees the day off on veteran's day. It's not right. We're trying to pay tribute to folks who served their country, and we don't get the day off.

I appreciate US Veterans' sacrifices everyday.

I visited with my daughter the Beaches of Normandy.

Thanks for the couragous posting and for speaking out.

I regret the hostile welocme for this posting on UA Board. UA Board is reserved for those who pout and whine when not being served their wine of choice before take-off. They don't like to be reminded where their freedom to whine orginates.

Here, in Canada, the day, which commerates the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers in the previous World Wars, is known as Remembrance Day.

Hear hear.

You mean that not getting a preflight drink isn't as big of a sacrifice as leaving a leg behind in some foreign country? How dare you suggest that!

Highly tongue in cheek.