Thank you.....

[John D.]

To all who have served, will serve and are serving now...

It is the
VETERAN,
Not the preacher,
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
The VETERAN,
Not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
The VETERAN,
Not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
The VETERAN,
Not the campus organizer,
Who has given us freedom to assemble.


It is
The VETERAN,
Not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.


It is
The VETERAN,
Not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.


It is the
VETERAN who
Salutes the Flag,


It is
The
VETERAN
Who serves
Under the Flag,

I tip my hat and heart to you - along with a whole country....

A United people,

All of us owe all of you..

The statistics are overwhelming defending what we are - by so few - or so many? I think it is many...

- Over 25,000 deaths in the Revolutionary War
- Over 625,000 deaths in our American Civil War
- Over 405,399 combat deaths in Work War II
- Over 116,516 deaths in World War I
- Over 58,209 deaths in the Vietnam War
- Over 36,516 deaths in the Korean War
- Almost 6,000 deaths in the current War on Terror

So, for this year's Memorial Day, I ask that go out and spend time in memory
of a fallen veteran or thank the family of a fallen veteran.

Simply - thank you, to all the vets. Those alive and those lost...

None of you are forgotten.

Ever...

John

[Larry Mason]

Amen. Thank you John.

[Autumn Daze]

Again,Thank You John...

[charlie cleveland]

THANKYOU JOHN DUNKLE.... CHARLIE

[Bill Murphy]

My Dad never said a word to suggest that I enter military service, but I'm sure he was very proud when I joined the USA in 1967.

[J.B. Books]

In the last few weeks I have learned more about my father's service in WWII including finding two pictures of him taken during the war he did not have in his collection, on a web page dedicated to the memory of the nose turret gunner on the same crew by his son.

My father was orginally part of the 10 man crew of the "Lady Esther" a B-24 in the 464BG. His plane and crew was selected to fly OSS covert missions into Yugoslavia and a ball turret gunner and bombardier were not needed. He and his bombardier joined up with the three surviving crew members of the "Pistol Packing Mama", all gunners, and 5 others formed the crew of "Stevonovitch II", piloted by Capt Lewis Perkins. All these men rotated home to the USA after completing their 35 missions in Feb '45.


Back row: Capt. Perkins pilot , My father gunner, TSgt Eudaily flight engineer and gunner, Tom Graf Bombardier, Ssgt Dempsey gunner, SSgt Faniro gunner (Faniro was the first gunner in 15th Air Force to receive the Silver Star)



The "Stevonovitch II" aka Black (N)an continued to soldier on after these men went home. Two months later, flown by a different crew, it was shot down with 9 men lost on April 10, 1945. The war was all but over, it was supposed to be a milk run. The shoot down is one of the most famous photos of WWII. Dad never spoke of his time on this plane, I am guessing it's shoot down and loss of crew bothered him, perhaps survivors guilt.

[charlie cleveland]

thanks PETE what a storey...not many of the men in war ever told of the experances... i was told one though by ainfantryman...they were taking the city of BERLIN and he said the fighting was fierce taking the city room by room in the houses...HERCHEL HARRISwas my friends name said that as he was clearing a house as he steped around the corner a german soilder also stepped around the same corner...hershal said there they stood eyeball to eyeball he said it seemed like eternity the german soldier made the first move the german soldier took a small step to the rear hershal said it took him a secound torelize what was happening...hershal said he also made a step backwards he said they took oneone more step and both soldiers werearound the corner...hershal said he never went back around that corner left that house and went on...HERSHAL SAID HE WOULD NEVER FORGET THAT GERMAN SOLDIER WHO GAVE HIM HIS LIFE AND THAT HE ALSO GAVE THE GERMAN SOLDIER HIS LIFE.... And ive never forgot this storey as it was told to me.... charlie

[J.B. Books]

Some day I will tell you guys how having a broken lawn mower fixed made a connection that led me to the web page in memory of SSgt Dempsey, one of father's crewmates, where I found two pictures of my father. Some of his crew were named in the photos, he was not but he was clearly recognizable to me. With over 12 million men in uniform during the war and the passage of 70 years what were the odds of me finding this connection?

Even more amazing is the collection of video interviews on Youtube of my father's flight engineer and top turret gunner, the late Red Eudaily, here he talks about remembering those who were lost. I wish I had found these sooner and had a chance to meet him before he passed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xFnhlb7oNs

[Double Lab]

My Dad, who turned 92 last week, also does'nt talk much about his service in the Pacific theater while serving in the army during WW2. He and a childhood buddy of his by the name of John Basilone came from a small town in New Jersey, Raritan. My father was in the National guard at the time of Pearl Harbor so he just stayed in the army. John Basilone joined the Marines. Google John Basilone Guadacanal and see just what these guys were made of. God bless America and all the servicemen who made this country great.

[John D.]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

In the last few weeks I have learned ....

and

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

.....HERCHEL HARRISwas my friends name ...

Pete & Charlie - what an amazing stories....!

Many, many thanks for sharing them with the rest of us... It puts a face on this day for all veterans who are remembered and revered for all they did - and continue to do today...

Simply - thank you..!!

John