I (and so many others here) sort of fit that category automatically...

Thanks for the history lesson. I too spent my time in war, not willingly, but because I was too dumb and too young to stand up for myself and defy the draft board, my family, and the old bastards in Washington. I was born during war and more than 40 years of my 69 years of life (well, so far!) this country has been at war or in some form of stupid formalized conflict. I expect that when I pass on to whatever comes next (if anything) this nation will still be at war or "adventuring", threatening war in "diplomacy", or on some search for some Holy Grail that some alpha males think are worthwhile (mostly so they can make scads of money and/or wield "power", or both --- well I guess in our society the two are interchangable aren't they, since males consider both ways of keeping score). Apparently, war and the seeds of war lie in the genome and hormones of the Alpha Male, and the wannabes who willingly follow them for the reflected glory and "trickle down" wealth sharing, just as our ape ancestors did and as our ape cousins still do ("Demonic Males", Richard Wrangham and Dale Peterson, Houghton-Mifflin Company, New York). It would be nice to eliminate testosterone poisoning within our species since we can't eliminate our genes. Maybe then the world could know peace of some sort, and we could end the need for any memorial day for the "brotherhood" of war.

CaroL

The only time I got involved in any hot stuff was when I delivered stores on bareboat charter to the US Sea train on the Mekong River, (Heard the guns but never actually saw any action.)

Second time was when things got a bit hot in the Iran/Iraq war when Iranian gunboats, (bloody missile destroyers actually,) got aggressive towards neutral ships trading to Kuwait, Saudia and the Emirates. There were mines everwhere and the Neutral Tankers ended up being convoyed up the south western side of the gulf with mine-sweeper and Nato warship escort. Even then a couple of ships hit mines. Our protection was to fill the outer forward tanks with water so if the ship hit a mine, (Usually with the bows,) the ship would only loose sea water and actually emerge up from the water. It worked.

British merchant seamen have a somewhat ambivilent attitude towards rememberence day. There was a lot of unfairness meted out to merchant seamen during the war. When their ship was torpedoed and sunk, their pay was stopped immediately; but if a soldier, sailor or airman was taken POW, their pay continued through the war. In my younger days in addition to all the personal s--t in my own life, I met many, many disillusioned, angry and cynical older men who'd endured a lot of s--t on the North Atlantic and Arctic convoys. Then when they finally made it home to the continued dangers of 'The Blitze' some people >(not the citizens of the port cities like Liverpool and Glasgow, bristol and South Wales because they knew the truth,) in Midlands towns and more conservative country areas, accused them of being cowards because they were not 'In Uniform'.
Several of my uncles were barred from going to village socials in support of the war effort because 'They were not in Uniform'. two of them had been torpedoed and one was lost. Often they couldnt even produce their disharge books or pay slips as evidence of combat because the documents were lost when the ship sank.

To this day, merchant seamen are a seemingly insular bunch and tend to 'stick together' because of the exceptional aspects of their lives.
For example when a merchgant seaman talks of some remote exotic location shoresiders tend to think they are boasting when in truth it is just a perfectly ordinary, 'Run of the Mill' aspect of their life. Like popping down to Walmart ot Tesco's for the groceries.
Still it's nice that you mentioned rememberance day.

Thanks Nan.

Bev.

Growing Old Disgracefully

From this little corner of the Earth, let me say we in England treasure the memories of those who have made it possible for us to be what we are, and live to tell our tales.

...who served in the U.S. Military, and I am proud of their service. I am proud of the folks here who have served and to those who continue to serve as well. Thank you!

Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena

For good or bad, the military needs their weapons so there are friends of mind who work to provide the military the needful. Some of them can never even say what they do but it is a reminder that a weapon need not be a BFG or a missile or a bomb nowadays as the current war will be also waged in cyberspace, the so called 'cyberwarriors'. It is unlikely such people will ever receive medals for valor which the military values so much as there is no physical risk involved per se.

While it is without question we need to do honor to those who do put their lives on the line and especially to those who do pay the ultimate price, there are legions out there who work to even the odds for those fighting men who will never be honored.

Kim

I'm going on a political limb here: Armistice Day was the original name of the day. It should return to that name. It meant a prayer for peace.

Osey shalom bimroomav, hu ya'ahsey shalom alenoo, v'ah kol ben adom -- last sentence of Kadash, transliterated from the Aramaic, revised. English translation: He Who creates peace in the celestial heights, may He create peace for us and all children of Adam (all humans).

shalimar

To properly comment on today's date properly.

Having really no options and totally lacking survival and sociologic skills, I joined the military in 1966. My inability to think for myself led me to believing much of the propaganda being foisted on the American public at the time. It didn't help that in going through Basic Training and subsequently Officer Training School that we were constantly inundated with tales of the rightiousness of the war. Of course, the people we were getting this from believed it too. I, along with many others, eventually learned the truth. Sadly though, many of my military acquaintances still believe there was a just cause for what we did in Southeast Asia. Our soldiers fought bravely for their country. For a cause that because their country said was just they didn't question.

Fighting the cold war was a different matter. Assured destruction is a scarey strategy. Fortunately, the powers had enough sense to pull back. Kruschev said they would bury us (economically). He proved the falacy of their system. It was economics that lead to the destruction of their system. Sitting in a missile silo, or in an alert facility waiting for the word to take the next step toward thermonuclear war takes its toll on those involved.

Now, we have lost thousands of our best in two questionable, unwinnable wars. Wars where even many of the participants, our own soldiers, questioned the validity of. But still they fight, serving a country they don't always understand, but they will fight to the best of their abilities, regardless, to defend their country's position.

Thank the Goddess, I am long retired from the military. I've even acquired some skills, thanks to my training and the educational opportunities I took, that allow me and my family to live comfortably. Would I defend my country today? The question is moot. Am I proud of our soldiers? You bet I am. They are a breed far above any level I might ever have attained. My heart goes out to them and their families. I am so proud of them, and I am so disappointed in their past civilian leadership.

Portia

I am a combat vet who came home alive, different, but alive. I had a purpose for going to Viet Nam, I didn't know how to handle my life and getting killed by the enemy would relieve me of all my anxieties.
I spent twenty years in the Navy trying to die.
I served my country had an exceptional career and finally realiuzed after I retired I wasn't meant to die. I know do police training three times a yea, I am a volunteer of a national mental health movement and hold two paid positions, for which I only get paid when I do a nine week class or a weekend seminar.
Being older and wiser I would still go back to war to defend my country. I have a love for the United States and like every other veteran wrote a blank check to my country that I was willing to pay with my life.
I will spend the day home alone and then go out for dinner with my daughter. I've already called my felllow vets and thanked them. Have you?

Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.

thank you for a wonderful article. my hat is off to all those who have served and those still serving our country.
robert

I was born right at the end of WW2 myself and was very fortunate that no-one in my near family was lost. Both my mother and father saw active service, and it was though my father's war service that I came to know this man:
http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=15132&title=B%26amp%...

He is my beacon of hope.

Syd joined a TA unit (reservist) in 1941 and ended up fighting his way most of the length of Italy. After the war he was, for nearly sixty years, the Secretary and driving force for that unit's Old Comrades Association. That, and his retirement age, make for an interesting person, but why he is important to me is that he has been openly, but quietly and discretely, gay as long as I have known him, which is nearly forty years.

AFAIK, he has never had any problems from any of those 'comrades' and his partner was always in evidence at their reunions. Again behaving discretely and with dignity; just like any other couple there in fact.

If men and woman who were born in the nineteen-twenties can be as accepting of difference (and almost all of the men - the soldiers - came from real working class backgrounds, so I think Bev has a point), surely there is hope for us all?

(Edited to correct URL)

and was pleased to see that all the staff, and many of the patients, stood silent for 2 minutes at 1100 am.

I count myself blessed that I have been spared any direct involvement in conflict. I am, however, extremely grateful that others gave their tomorrows; we will remember them.

Susie

Over here it's just St. Martin's Day

And/or for some people the start of the 5th season: Carnival

ALISON

Ode to the Fallen.

They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.

LEST WE FORGET.

My grandfather was part of the "Calgary Tanks" a unit that served in the European theater during WWII, and was awarded medals for his service. My father was an air traffic controller for the Canadian Air Force, serving in England and Germany before his depression got the better of him. Me, because of my gender issues, I never considered serving, so all I can do is salute those who do.

Dorothycolleen, member of Bailey's Angels