We must never forget our WWII Vets, and neither should the world.

[DevinDNC]

John Kerry, Tom Hanks, and Tom Brokaw are absolutely right...we must never forget what the WWII Veterans did for America, and the world. My Grandfather fought as a Marine in the Pacific, at Guadalcanal. I am proud of my Grandfather's service in WWII and of my father's service as a Marine in Vietnam. The best way to honor our veterans of any war, is to elect a strong, smart, warrior President (one who didn't wuss out when his country called, like Bush did). John Kerry as President, is the best gift we could give to honor our vets and our country.

[Hand]

1. Hear hear!

And as the Canadian War Amputees' motto says: NEVER AGAIN!

:toast:

[HereSince1628]

2. Or WW I vets, or vets from Korea, or Vietnam...get my drift?

One of my distant grandfathers fought with Benedict Arnold when he was still loyal and moved captured artillery pieces to West Point (where they might now be part of monuments).

Soldiers, better or worse educated, for better and sometimes worse causes, respond to the nation's need for military. WWII veterans have been mightily commemorated.

Go to the library of congress and check out all the books that recognize their efforts. They are very well remembered.

The hardest thing to do is to recognize that soldiers can serve loyally in bad or lost causes. Korean veterans are largely forgotten, as are Americans who fought in the Suez. Those who served in Vietnam are often seen as victims rather than patriots. Who remembers with admiration those who fought in various bananna republics in the early part of the 19oo's? Who remembers those who served but contributed to the genocide of the original inhabitants of the American west?

I am hardly interested in warriors. I don't want one as a president.

For me Memorial Day is a sad day. It is about the Civil War and the too many thousands upon thousands who died in what should have been but could not be avoided.

It is about recognizing soldiers, sailors and airmen of more recent conflicts who subverted their personal interests, well being, and lives to those of their unit and society. In general, they sought no glory, took no super 8 film of their actions, and those who survived generally go quietly on their way knowing personally the guilt of survivors and the ugly reality that the nation and history books recognize outcomes...while the heroes are in the final analysis dead.