Thinking about "Big Ed". One of my high school buddy's dad.
Army Captain, Korea and Vietnam vet. Last stationed in Iran before the Shah was deposed.
Retired rather than facing a few more moves.So he moved back "home". Great sense of humor.
Stories that chilled me to the bone too.
RIP Ed
97 years ago at 1100 hours, the slaughter STOPPED in Europe & WWI ended.
Remember our veterans, both living & dead, today if nothing else by simply pausing & keeping silent to thank them for their service to The Republic in both peace & war.
Now that I am back, I can talk a little about where I was on Veterans Day; which was with the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. For those of you unfamiliar with that location, it is a former French Foreign Legion base acquired by the US about a year after 9/11 and is the only permanent US military base in Africa.
While I can't talk about what I did there, I can say from firsthand experience that the US military personnel assigned there are the dedicated professionals we can all be proud of. These fine Americans leave their families and friends for anywhere between six months to almost a year to live in very austere conditions Billeting is in Containerized Living Units (CLUs), shipping containers converted to house 2-3 people. There are communal toilet/showers for every 10-15 CLUs...
All of the above is public knowledge and not sensitive.
Those deployed here work long hours seven days a week for months on end. There is little in terms of recreation, and those amenities we all enjoy (fast food, shopping, etc) are in short supply. Still, there is strong morale and an overall positive attitude by all.
It was a privilege and honor to spend Veterans Day with those that exemplify the meaning of the day. They have my utmost respect and I pray that God watches over them and keeps them safe. We Americans enjoy lucrative and comfortable lives due to the sacrifices of such individuals, and they are heroes true to the word.