He was so proud of the military contributions of our family, his father in WW1, our Uncles in WW2, and his own service during the Korean war. He instilled in me a sense of patriotic pride. And pride in accomplishments and history of the U.S. military. My father was a social liberal, He taught me a sense of shared responsibility. He also taught a me that, I as a citizen have a responsibility to be informed, to vote, and to never confuse those who govern, with the “ideal” Government. The current government only represents the government that is now, You don’t like them, vote them out. For that matter he believed that we deserved the government that We voted for, but that the idea of government was bigger then the politicians in power.. He always taught me that on top of everything “You salute the uniform not the man”. I miss him.
4. “Tommy Atkins’ Letters” The History of the British Army Postal Service from 1795
by Peter Boyden. A National Army Publication 1990. Pg28
During the war, tens of thousands of men disappeared in Flanders. Routinely, blown to bits or swallowed whole by the mud, never to be seen again. Almost ninety years after the war ended, bits of bones, and uniforms, the detritus of the war still commonly turn up in these same fields. Today in Northern France, and Belgium, old World War 1 munitions are routinely dug up, these 90 year old munitions still kill and maim farmers and hikers today. The unexploded bombs, and the multitude of cemeteries are a constant reminder of the price paid and the debt we owe to those who fought and died in the “War to end all Wars”. While only a handful of people, who were alive during the war are still alive today, their war still has relevance and their voices still have resonance today. We here at the dawn of the 21st century, owe them more then just a poppy on the lapel in November. We owe them, at the least, a little attention to their histories. We have much to learn. (Even more so as, we continue to make the same mistakes) We continue to think that war is easy, can be bloodless, and, “that it will be over by Christmas”.This site is for them.
