To all the Veterans on Kahrtalk

[TD2K]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your service is greatly appreciated. Happy Veterans Day!

[Ol'coot]

I would like to personally say THANK YOU to all veterans for your service, it is very much appreciated .

[wyntrout]

Thanks, guys... I use the "inclusive" guys... guys and gals... English... too cumbersome sometimes....

I would like to include my thanks to all who served and yet serve to protect us and our way of life.

Wynn
USAF. Retired 1988

[jeep45238]

In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[Bawanna]

No idea of origin but a kind gesture.

Snack

Lunches

I put my carry-on in the

luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned

seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm

glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will

get a short nap,' I thought.



Just before take-off,

a line of soldiers came down the aisle and

filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding

me. I decided to start a conversation.



'Where are you

headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to

me.
'Petawawa. We'll be there for two

weeks for special training, and then we're being

deployed to Afghanistan



After

flying for about an hour, an announcement was

made that sack lunches were available for five

dollars. It would be several hours before we

reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch

would help pass the time...



As I reached for my

wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if

he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems

like a lot of money for just a sack lunch.

Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks.

I'll wait till we get to base.'



His friend agreed.



I looked around at the

other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked

to the back of the plane and handed the flight

attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a

lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my

arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with

tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in

Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for

him.'

Picking up ten

sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the

soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and

asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or

chicken?'
'Chicken,' I replied,

wondering why she asked. She turned and went to

the front of plane, returning a minute later

with a dinner plate from first class.



'This is your thanks.'



After we finished

eating, I went again to the back of the plane,

heading for the rest room.

A

man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to

be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me

twenty-five dollars.



Soon after I returned

to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down

the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he

walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but

noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my

side of the plane. When he got to my row he

stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, 'I

want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my

seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand.

With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier

and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought

me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never

forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was

heard from all of the passengers.



Later I walked to the

front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A

man who was seated about six rows in front of me

reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He

left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.



When we landed I

gathered my belongings and started to deplane.

Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man

who stopped me, put something in my shirt

pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a

word. Another twenty-five dollars!



Upon entering the

terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their

trip to the base.
I walked over to

them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It

will take you some time to reach the

base.

It

will be about time for a sandwich.
God

Bless You.'

Ten young

men left that flight feeling the love and

respect of their fellow travelers.



As I walked briskly to

my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe

return. These soldiers were giving their all for

our country. I could only give them a couple of

meals. It seemed so little...



A veteran is someone

who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank

check made payable to 'The United States of

America ' for an amount of 'up to and

including my life.'



That is Honor, and

there are way too many people in this country

who no longer understand

it.'

[kahrseye]

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++1

[sonofodin]

Veterans Day

Hate to say it fellahs/ladys but I used to support vets day 100% until I became a veteran.

Everyone around here demands a happy birthday, or christmas, or other holiday greeting. People always expect me to just GIVE them something more. But nobody in Columbus, Ohio stops to say anything to me.

My ole lady don't even remember. Wanna thank me for bein a vet? DONT take anything for granted please.

Livin in doors with heat and electricity
Running hot n cold water
Snacks
Toothepaste
Free time
Sanity
Sleep

The list goes on of things I went a very long time without.

[jocko]

nice attitude. bad day huh? It happens..

[sonofodin]

Jocko you are spot on. But I was meaning that with being sincere about not taking stuff for granted. I was shocked when I came home and saw just how much people really take for granted.

[jocko]

everyone views veterans day differently to. So don'tjudge all people by a few. Most all are appreciative, but also, there are people who do not appreciate the meaning of christmas either. I just try not to loose alot of sleep over some people anymore. Some would be unappreciative if they were given a million bucks and had to pay 50% of it in taxes.

No doubt veterans day to the younger set doesn't have the meaning it should have, bit I have seen in and around this area when a veteran comes home now, he is given a very honorable welcome. we just had one young man comehom from afgan about a week ago and our little town gave him a welcome i have not seen ever. Flags, all over the place, people ont he highway, Motorycle brigade brouight him the last 50 miles . Now I know it might also make some vietnam vets feel like sh-t when they see this to and I understand, but most have put it behind them also. Some will never and I understand that to.

If ur a vet of what ever service, my hat tiped today for all of um. Some wounds will never be healed because they are internal. Many the reason some people today take things for granted is because it seems the U.S is at war most all the time with countries that most until then had never ehard about or cared about. Ihear in conversations where I drink coffee every day people say, well I wonder what war we will get into after afgan???

You just don't know how bad I hate it when I see another American young man who gave his life over in afgan or surrounding area for people over there that hate us so bad I always considered myself to be a hawk but sometimes even a hawk likes to sit on top of a tree top and ENJOY the world..

[sonofodin]

Im glad you understand that last sentence well Jocko. I kinda invisioned what your town does happening for me in a smaller way but it never did. We got treated pretty bad in my unit and when I got out...well its been rough. Not alot of people understand just how bad alot of people get treated in the Army and not alot of people appreciate in a bigger city to the degree that yours does. Hat off back to you. Just hung the banner on the front of the house. Hats off to my brothers and sisters out there struggling as well.

OIF 2008-2009

We will never forget the blood we shed and what we have done, though no other may come to understand or know.

[TheTman]

My sincerest thank you to all veterans of all wars, particularly those of you who felt unappreciated or worse upon your return to the USA. I think sometimes some people need a good whack upside the head to make em think of the sacrifices you have made for all of us. Just because you don't believe in a cause doesn't mean you have to disrespect our honorable soldiers.

[AFVet]

Thanks for the kind wishes on Veterans' Day. I'm always a bit reluctant to accept thanks because I always think of this day in terms of those who gave life and limb. Our freedom is built upon their valor and sacrifice. It's their day in my opinion.

[jlottmc]

Thanks, guys... I use the "inclusive" guys... guys and gals... English... too cumbersome sometimes....

I would like to include my thanks to all who served and yet serve to protect us and our way of life.

Wynn
USAF. Retired 1988

Well said Wynn. Thanks guys.

[jeep45238]

Not a vet yet - I do take care of them, and our current service members, however I can.

Hoping that MEPS will go smoothly in January and I'll have a copy of the contract to take home.



“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
– John Fitzgerald Kennedy