That was a nice, diversionary break from the static that usually clogs the airwaves. Or the condensation in my compressor when I hit the horn.
Yup, a couple of blocks away. I believe the most provocative and beautiful art/architecture was done in the 20's - 30's... Angel of Victory This 3,000 pound, seven foot tall, bronze statue depicts a female angel and fallen soldier ascending to heaven. The Angel of Victory is part of the first wave of Canadian war memorials that followed the end of the Great War. As soldiers who died overseas were buried where they fell, memorials were erected in communities across the country as a public remembrance. In 1921, CPR commissioned Montreal sculptor Coeur de Lion McCarthy to create this statue, copies of which stand at CPR stations in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Montreal. The Angel is a moving reminder of Canada’s wartime sacrifices.
Beautiful sculpture. This years Veterans Day was like no other for me. I had to bury my father earlier this year. He was 88 & never spent a day in the hospital other than for a quick patch during WWII. He drove a forward scout tank in Patton's famed "Super Sixth" 231st heavy field artillery div. Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge and was literally the first of several tanks to enter the concentration camp Buchenwald. I learned many of the details after it was too late. Though he never spoke about the war openly, he would tell me things if I asked. As many of the WWII veterans do, he didn't dwell on it. He had served his country, was lucky enough to make it back home and moved on with his life. He was the proudest, honorable and most patriotic American you could find. The government sent a full honor guard for my dad & the church was packed & overflowing down the sidewalks. One of the guards who who stood by my dad's side had a long list of my fathers accomplishments with him. At one point after he meticulously decorated my fathers uniform beside the flag, he congratulated me. I asked what he could possibly be congratulating ME for?? He said that I was fortunate to have known such a man for so many years. I am a very lucky man. My dad & I were business partners, fishing buddies and he was the best man at my wedding. Though I still ask for his advise, I wish I has asked more questions while he was here. My heart felt best wishes to all of our Veterans! David
Today the PGR, American Legion and several other organizations will visit the national cemeteries to honor those who gave their lives for us, but have no family or friends to wish them well. Join if you can, but if you can't at least thank a vet. Stand for those who stood for us. Maybe even offer one a job if you can. On this Veteran's Day a very depressing and shameful statistic has come to light: The unemployment rate for veterans who have served since September 2001 was 12.1 percent in October -- well above the comparable, non-seasonally adjusted rate of 8.5 percent for the broader population. Life Inc. - Good Graph Friday: They served, and now they search for work Let's see if we can't treat them better. They deserve better.
When I was a kid, Veterans Day was another holiday. None of my siblings had to go to Vietnam or serve in the armed forces. As I got older, I started to appreciate the commitment our soldiers make. Dad was in the Army in Korea, other uncles in the service, a brother-in-law made a career in the Marines. But it really hit home when my son enlisted in the Marines a few years ago. Not only did I learn so much just from being a parent of a Marine, but listening to him about his experience in Boot Camp at Parris Island, his training as a marksman, and now he is being schooled on combat vehicle repair in Japan, I wanted to enlist. A wee bit old for that now. I think every kid out of high school should put in at least two years in any armed service. It would make us a better, stronger, more disciplined country. Here are some shots from the Jacksonville, NC area, home to Camp Lejuene and Camp Johnson. My son had some training back in the states this past July at Johnson, so we stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial outside the camp. I did take him to the Hatteras/Cabo yard in NC for a tour of the facility that I was doing a story on. Our host Eric is a Marine (you are always a Marine, never a former Marine) so he and my son hit it off. Ooh-rah! Today, and every day, thank a soldier. In the photos, those are names etched on glass panels of those men and women lost in Vietname.
A few weeks ago I (along with about 500 other PGR, American Legion and other riders) had the honor of escorting the Dignity Wall on it's trip from Citi Field to the Northport VA Hospital, I've also had the honor of escorting several Viet Nam and Korean War vets on their final ride and welcomed home our vets returning from Afganistan and Iraq. To see the faces.... It just feels good to say thank you for sacrifices many of us can't even imagine.
Lest we forget I see the original is gone here is something new. Terry Kelly - A Pittance of Time (Official Version) - YouTube
Is this it ? Girl Playing Taps ? Girl Playing Taps - YouTube Thanks for your service my fellow Veterans... Doc, 65-66, RVN
Patriot Guard Riders, although you don't need to be a biker to join, just someone who wants to honor those who stood for us. Check PGRdotcom. They do good things for our vets. No membership dues or meetings, do as many or as few missions as fit your schedule. They're in pretty much every state. We just want to say thank you, make sure those who pass get the honor they deserve and the returning get the welcome our Viet Nam vets missed.
I am one that is so lucky to have my father still with me, he was a Marine in WWII in the Pacific. By all that is good and kind, he is in great health, always doing something and an inspiration in every way. He attended the opening of the WWII memorial in DC and when he came home he remarked that everyone there was so old. He left college on a dual sport scholarship to join the fight without a second thought for himself. I liken it to Pat Tillman, only that my dad made it back home. Here is to those great Americans who put self second to US.
