To all Veterans Welcome Home

[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

To the combat veterans among us now, and to those who went on before us even back
to 1776: there are always those who step up and volunteer to go in harms way. We need them. America will always need them and God will provide them.

Henderson R. Marriott
LtCol-USA-Ret
5th Special Forces Gp (ABN) MACVSOG
Khe Sanh Vietnam 1970-72 1st LT

[Richard Dow]

My father , Lt. Russell Dow was killed Nov. 19, 1944 just before the battle of the Bulge. He was a tank officer and 23 years old with a 8 month pregnant wife at home. I was able to find his grave at the military cemetery. In St. Avold France some years back.
My stepfather, Master Sgt. Frank Mayer was 17 (yes 17) when he was captured on Bataan. He then took the Bataan Death March and remained a prisoner of war for 3 yrs and 7 mo. He was on two different transport ships heading for Japan that were sunk by the Americans. At one point he floated for 48 hrs before being picked up and he could not swim. He weighed 85 lbs. when liberated. He had jungle rot on his legs the rest of his life. He pulled his own teeth one by one with a pair of pliers over the years as he put up with the effects of malnutrition and alcohol. He died at 61.
These are the men I think about on Memorial Day.
Teach your kids and grandkids who preserved their freedom for them. I’m already working on my young great grandkids. Best