A short story...

TwoTone

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So, last weekend we were at Costco... Pretty much a mad house... Noon hour and the boys (and Hilly & I) are hungry, so we decided to grab a Hotdog...

Finding a seat at the few picnic tables there was more of a sport than a casual action... I'm standing in a spot that could be considered the 50-yard line so I can respond quickly to the slightest move by anyone who was finishing up... What I didn't know, was that there was an elderly lady on the 30-yard line doing the same thing...

Needless to say, we met at a table on the 40 at the same time... She looked at me as I sat down to claim my families spot, and said - "Can my husband and I please have the end seats? - he has a bad leg"... And sliding toward the center of the table, Parker and I went...

A few moments later, Hilly & Preston joined us with the Dogs and squeezed in the center... And then our friend's husband joined the table shortly after... His name was Jack...

Jack did indeed have a bum leg... An injury caused in the war... You see, he is a Veteran... A Veteran from WWII... I had the privilege to set and share a table, a meal, and time, with a man that landed on Utah Beach, Normandy... Jack's 98... What an honor that 20 minutes was...

Today, the 11th of November is Veterans Day... If you've ever wondered why Veteran's Day is always on the 11th of November, here's the reason:

World War I ended on November 11, on the 11th hour, in 1918... Today marks the 100th anniversary of a critical point in our history, that has allowed you & me to be free...

Amongst all the divide that is out there in today's politics, I, personally am glad to be an American, free, and to have a voice... But most importantly, I'm thankful for Jack... His bum leg, re-constructed face over a 5 year period (back in a day when our medicine wasn't so advanced), and his proud spirit...

God Bless you, Jack!

Mike
 
Great story. The WWII vets are dwindling in number as well as Korean vets. It's always an honor to meet the "old" guys.

 
That is an amazing experience and opportunity that you had. Thank you for sharing it on this very special anniversary marking the end of the Great War - WWI. Indeed, an extra special Veterans Day this year!
 
You are a good man Mike. Great story, thanks for sharing. I talked with a Korean War Veteran at the airport yesterday. I told him I liked his hat which identified him as such. He went on to say it was a gift from his Brother and it was the first time he had worn it. Said he felt like he was boasting and didn’t like the attention. We talked for abit and I told him I was honored to have met him. Not long afterwards the airline attendant working the desk came up to him and asked if he would like to board early. I could tell that he appreciated this. Good to see that we still honor those who served.
 
I am glad to hear that people are taking the time to listen to others. For me, the only thing your life is really worth in the end are the stories that you created. All too often people are in too much of a hurry to listen to anyone or find out anything about them. In my opinion, The Greatest Generation has some of the best stories there are.

My father was a Marine during WWII and again in Korea. The Korea part is a whole other story but I won’t get in to now. He was 17 years old, three days shy of his 18th birthday when he landed on the island of Saipan. He fought along with the Marines until the end of the war. Later on, after the war, having gotten married and with a sixmonth old baby (my older sister) he was called back to Korea. With 3 days notice. He was gone for almost 18 months with little to no communication back home. He was called home in 2012 a couple months before his 86th birthday. I will always cherish the stories that he passed on to me I know I’ll see him again one day. I’m sure he will be “guarding the streets” just like the hymn says.

Thank you for sharing your stories of meeting these two gentlemen. And thank you for taking the time to listen to them. I appreciated reading this post.

Thank you to all our veterans that are on this forum. We owe you all a debt of gratitude.
 
The older I get the more Grateful I am to the Veterans of this United States. Thanks to All Vets on here and all over that Served so that I can live in a Free Country.
All gave some and Some gave All! God Bless You All and Thank You
 
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