There are few somber days anymore save for those we make ourselves. I suppose we can turn a blind eye to what the rest of the world is doing on holidays and celebrate in our own way.

Thanks for the head’s up on Confederates in the Attic. Read a review — sounds like a fine read. When I read “David Horowitz” in your message I was perplexed at what he would be writing. Realized that the author was Pulitzer Prize winning writer Tony Horowitz — a very different person. Not sure I can take a big gulp of gloom and doom from David Horowitz right now.

It certainly seems that way.

BTW, finally read David Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic. Entertaining read as well as some interesting tidbits.

I think its not uncommon that the ones who saw the most say the least.

Thanks for sharing the story of your experience, and that of your family’s military experiences. It’s too easy for the actions and sacrifices of individuals to fade into some sort of sanitized history that seems to make war less awful. Or perhaps more tolerable.

I would like to believe that someday we’ll get to a place where war is unthinkable. But like you, we’re no where near that point now.

I am from a line of military men – Dad (Harry) went into the Normandy beaches with the Royal Marines 4 days after D-Day and ended up staying in Germany for 9 years to help with the reconstruction there.

Grandad (Ernest) went to France in September 1915 with the 50th Division Infantry and miraculously lasted out the war. He was physically pretty much unscathed but family tell us he was mentally scarred for the rest of his life.

I ended up in Iraq in 2003 as a Nursing Officer in a Field Hospital after joining the reserves a few years before never thinking that would be a likely end point. I left the reserves soon after and am now a firm pacifist. Unfortunately I don’t see wars or their like ending any time soon.

Go well

Ken

Thanks for the head’s up on the Netflix series. I’ll check it out.

I think that’s pretty common. Not sure why. I know a few people who served more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan and they never mention anything about their service.

I’m sorry for the loss of your father Jim. Few WWII vets left now.

I have the flag that was presented to our family at my father’s burial along with the empty shell casings from a 21 gun salute. Aside from photos of my father in the war, I don’t know a lot about his experiences. And those I do are of the more comic variety. I wish I would have asked more while he was still alive.