It's a good point to remember that those who sacrificed weren't the only ones - their families often bore the burden of the cost of war.
My grandfather was a machinist and thus exempt from the draft as was his older brother. But his brother felt the call to serve and volunteered. Ended up being in the infantry and didn't last six months after getting to Europe. Left a wife and young daughter behind. Luckily his wife met another veteran who survived the war and didn't mind raising another man's daughter, and they had several boys.
But there was still always a hole in our family where my great uncle had been and it never completely healed. Everyone who knew him is gone now but the effects were felt to some degree or another for half a century.
I agree. That’s why I always think of my grandparents on Memorial Day. He was one of six boys and the one who carried my grandpa’s name. He was the oldest and the only one who didn’t come home. He was Navy. His remaining five brothers joined up too, three Navy, two Army. My dad and uncles came back but it tore my grandparents up. They served too…for the rest of their lives.
My late mother was once looking over her high school yearbook, and lamenting that so many of the boys on those pages went off to WWII and never came home.
That picture hit my heart. The worst part? I wonder what they were fighting for versus what they thought they were fighting for. May God bless every soul that has died fighting for us.
I was watching The War Room earlier and they were showing pictures of veterans in their uniforms. The pics were black and white from long ago. I started crying for all of those young men who never made it home. Damn demons.😭🇺🇲
The judge said "jail or jarhead, your choice" when young, to HH-60W pilot-SAR, to going 20 years later from Honolulu to SE Asia twice on recovery of remains trips. My dad was a Ranger medic in Korea. My grandfather (M) was a WW2 tanker/grandfather (P) was a WW1 Marine. My oldest daughter is an E2C AC. My youngest daughter is currently an IP at Randolph AFB. This however, is a quiet weekend for me.
It's a good point to remember that those who sacrificed weren't the only ones - their families often bore the burden of the cost of war.
My grandfather was a machinist and thus exempt from the draft as was his older brother. But his brother felt the call to serve and volunteered. Ended up being in the infantry and didn't last six months after getting to Europe. Left a wife and young daughter behind. Luckily his wife met another veteran who survived the war and didn't mind raising another man's daughter, and they had several boys.
But there was still always a hole in our family where my great uncle had been and it never completely healed. Everyone who knew him is gone now but the effects were felt to some degree or another for half a century.
I agree. That’s why I always think of my grandparents on Memorial Day. He was one of six boys and the one who carried my grandpa’s name. He was the oldest and the only one who didn’t come home. He was Navy. His remaining five brothers joined up too, three Navy, two Army. My dad and uncles came back but it tore my grandparents up. They served too…for the rest of their lives.
I agree. That's why I always thank the family of a serviceman or vet for their service as well.
In memory of all the ones who never made it home...
https://youtu.be/a6_I_Kzb1HE
Too many ghosts in too many graveyards.
My late mother was once looking over her high school yearbook, and lamenting that so many of the boys on those pages went off to WWII and never came home.
That picture hit my heart. The worst part? I wonder what they were fighting for versus what they thought they were fighting for. May God bless every soul that has died fighting for us.
This. This is all I can think of whenever I think of the military now, past and present.
Me too ! My misty eyes are for all who fought for us but also for the reason you mentioned ! Dear God I pray the truth comes out soon !
I was watching The War Room earlier and they were showing pictures of veterans in their uniforms. The pics were black and white from long ago. I started crying for all of those young men who never made it home. Damn demons.😭🇺🇲
The judge said "jail or jarhead, your choice" when young, to HH-60W pilot-SAR, to going 20 years later from Honolulu to SE Asia twice on recovery of remains trips. My dad was a Ranger medic in Korea. My grandfather (M) was a WW2 tanker/grandfather (P) was a WW1 Marine. My oldest daughter is an E2C AC. My youngest daughter is currently an IP at Randolph AFB. This however, is a quiet weekend for me.
And the band played Waltzing Matilda.
On the Titanic I believe