Celebrate Veterans Day
Most of us have veterans in our family. Some are still living and some have passed away. We should honor all of them.
The living veterans can be very young recently volunteering for service or they can be getting older serving during World War I and II. Many served at times during Korea or Vietnam. When was the last time you talked to him or her? When was the last visit? Everyone should catch up write, call, or visit within the next week or two. Active duty personnel like mail and care packages and should be encouraged to write or call back to you. Some are recently discharged and others have been discharged long ago. Contact them and find out how they are doing. Visit those in hospitals or nursing homes.
Some of us have veterans that have passed away. If you are near the cemetery drop by. Think about them when they were living. Some cemeteries are terrific and maintain the graves extremely well and others do not. We bring grass seed, rakes, and water to cleanup the leaves and repair the barespots once or twice each year. We also bring shears because they do not trim around the monument very well.
We have a serious amateur genealogist in the family and he has a two shelf museum of family history accumulated during the past ten years. Military service is only part of it but is important. Interview the veterans and find out what their job was and where they served. Find out what they like and disliked about it. Ask them whether or not they have any pictures and if you can make copies. Write it up on your computer or use pen and paper. My grandfather served in France during WW I and spoke French at home when his VFW friends visited. When I visited Paris I tried to imagine what places he may have visited. I did not know because I was too young to ever have that conversation with him.
My Dad served in Borneo and the Philippines during WW II and he really liked the Philippines and the people there. Since the 1950's thousands of nurses from the Philippines worked here in New Jersey and he would walk up to each one he found and talk to them without hesitation.
It is interesting to accumulate information and documents about the family. If you are interested in gathering information about your family, it is better to start sooner than later.
The living veterans can be very young recently volunteering for service or they can be getting older serving during World War I and II. Many served at times during Korea or Vietnam. When was the last time you talked to him or her? When was the last visit? Everyone should catch up write, call, or visit within the next week or two. Active duty personnel like mail and care packages and should be encouraged to write or call back to you. Some are recently discharged and others have been discharged long ago. Contact them and find out how they are doing. Visit those in hospitals or nursing homes.
Some of us have veterans that have passed away. If you are near the cemetery drop by. Think about them when they were living. Some cemeteries are terrific and maintain the graves extremely well and others do not. We bring grass seed, rakes, and water to cleanup the leaves and repair the barespots once or twice each year. We also bring shears because they do not trim around the monument very well.
We have a serious amateur genealogist in the family and he has a two shelf museum of family history accumulated during the past ten years. Military service is only part of it but is important. Interview the veterans and find out what their job was and where they served. Find out what they like and disliked about it. Ask them whether or not they have any pictures and if you can make copies. Write it up on your computer or use pen and paper. My grandfather served in France during WW I and spoke French at home when his VFW friends visited. When I visited Paris I tried to imagine what places he may have visited. I did not know because I was too young to ever have that conversation with him.
My Dad served in Borneo and the Philippines during WW II and he really liked the Philippines and the people there. Since the 1950's thousands of nurses from the Philippines worked here in New Jersey and he would walk up to each one he found and talk to them without hesitation.
It is interesting to accumulate information and documents about the family. If you are interested in gathering information about your family, it is better to start sooner than later.
posted by God Bless America - Bob at 9:33 AM
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