God Bless Our Vets

Today being Veteran's Day, I would like to pay special homage to those who sacrificed lives and/or limbs for our precious country's preservation. Many veterans today face what Vietnam vets had to endure during the 60's ... not so much ridicule but being taken for granted. Without these brave souls, we would not be where we are today.

My father is a veteran of the Korean War. It is something he has ever talked about, and I think something he really wanted to forget. But as he got older, he became more proud. My mother discovered that his medals had been tossed out unintentionally with his uniform when she discovered that moths had eaten through it in a box in the attic. After decades, the Korean government (yeah, that's right!) sent him a special thank you, complete with replacement medals displayed in a shadow box. I know this is something he will cherish for the rest of his life.

Many of our WWII vets are rapidly passing on, so if you know one and have the opportunity, make a special effort to thank him or her. Without their sacrifice, and those of veterans since, we would not be the great nation we are today. God Bless America!!!

Hug a Veteran

As most everyone knows, tomorrow is Veteran's Day. The day was originally established as Armistice Day, the day that the Armistice was signed ending WWI. Major hostilities were ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. President Woodrow Wilson declared it a holiday in 1919. In 1953, the idea was spread to include all veterans, changing it from Armistice Day to "All Veterans" Day, and in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. All states within the United States observe this holiday.

National ceremonies take place every year at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. The day will be celebrated with parades, speeches, and observances of our beloved veterans. So if you know someone who has bravely served in defense of this great country, give them a hug. If they are serving now, hug them. If they fought in Desert Storm, Vietnam, or Korea, give them big hugs (here's one for you, Dad.) And if they are one of the few remaining veterans who fought in WWII, give them an extra special hug. Without these men and women, our freedom would be lost.