That's right. I've hit a milestone with this being my 100th blog post. Whoopee. Okay, on to other stuff.
I want to say THANK YOU to all veterans who have faithfully served in our military, both living, dead and wounded. To the wounded I would like to say that I have donated to the Wounded Warriors Program and was glad to do so.
We are losing our World War II vets at an astonishing rate. Soon, they will all be gone. If your grandaddy served in that war, please take down as many of his memories as you can from that time, even if he doesn't want to talk about it. This was indeed the greatest generation, and we need to remember them for all time.
This in no way lessens the sacrifices of those who served in Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq and Afghanistan...and any other place I have failed to mention due to my tragic loss of memory. All of you deserve much more than you have received and are to be considered a special group of people in our society.
I was never so proud of any veteran as I was my dad. United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal James Henry Coward, Jr. Oo-rah!! First wave on Guam. Guadalcanal. Saipan. Iwo Jima. And came back without a scratch. He was one of the lucky ones. My dad served in an intelligence outfit and decoded Japanese messages. He wasn't drafted, but joined the Marines and was always proud to have been associated with the Corps. As they say, once a Marine, always a Marine. He died in October, 1999, and we buried him with full military honors.
So, thank you veterans for all you have done for this once, great country. Your sacrifice was never in vain for those of us who remember it for what it was, and who would love to see it come back from what it has become. Thank you.