Hug a Veteran Day

I've never served in any war, and that's all the more reason to admire and honor those who have risked their lives fighting in those conflicts that have left our nation and our allies stronger, freer, and more secure.

There are two people, one verified and one not verified, who are the last remaining veterans of World War I. They are Florence Green of the UK who served in the Women's Royal Air Force, and Andrew Rasch, who claims to have been in the US Navy. Both of them are 110 years old.

Of course, there are still thousands of World War II veterans, including 87-year-old Daniel Inouye, one of Hawaii's two US Senators. There are loads of veterans from the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, the second Iraq War and the Afghanistan conflict. My hat's off to them all, along with those who served in dangerous conditions during the Cold War or otherwise between wars.

Frank, a family friend now in a nursing home, is a veteran of the 100th Battalion. Along with the 442nd Infantry Regiment of which Daniel Inouye was a part, they became famous as nearly all-Japanese-American fighting units distinguished by their immense bravery. I sometimes ask him questions about his time in Italy, but while his mind is still sharp at ninety-something, it's hard for him to speak. The conversations are limited, but he enjoys watching old cowboy movies, which I bring him on DVD. 

At the same nursing home as Frank is a woman named Jackie who was a pilot in the WAC (Women's Army Corp). Her job was flying newly minted aircraft from the Mainland (usually California) to Hawaii or elsewhere where they were needed by combat pilots and male officers authorized to fly in combat. She was still flying her own private airplane up and down the California coast past the age of eighty, when a mild stroke left her in a wheelchair and unable to drive, much less fly. Listening to her tell stories about the war and California and Hawaii back in the day has been fascinating, but I get the impression that I'm the only one who ever hears them. What little family she has never visits her. (Don't even get me started on the utter disregard for human life when people ignore those in nursing homes, simply because they fear their own ridiculously low threshold of discomfort will be crossed if they enter such a facility and actually speak to someone there.) 

I have a number of relatives who have served in the US military, though I haven't had the chance to hear many stories. One grandfather, who died years before I was born, served in Europe and then Japan and Korea, and became a career soldier. Two uncles were in Vietnam, and one of them also made the military his career. A cousin is an officer who has recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I expect some of his kids will also follow suit.

An uncle by marriage lied about his age and joined the Navy, and he eventually fought at Iwo Jima. He passed away recently, having been going through the stages of Alzheimer's Disease, the "long goodbye." I wrote about him here and here. He died less than three weeks after I wrote that first link and I spent the last part of my summer arranging the funeral.

Nursing homes are full of veterans. Go visit one. Not today, but tomorrow or the next day, when most everyone else will have forgotten them until next year.

...

Osama bin Laden is dead! Alhamdulillah!

The president's critics have examined the background
in this jpeg file and determined it is fake.

Always a whore for media attention, President Obama interrupted whatever was playing on prime time to announce that Osama (no relation) is dead and can't hurt us anymore. Before that, though, Obama called both former presidents Bush43 and Clinton to gloat.

It was either this or Evil Bert.

This is a man who deserved to die, of course, but his death during his capture — which precludes the need for a trial and then, presumably, punishment — means I won't have to write up an editorial on why Osama bin Laden should be spared capital punishment.

Anyway, I just have one question for Mr Barack Hussein Obama: If you're so much smarter than your predecessor, why did it take you over two years to hunt down OBL? Huh? (I'm guessing, though, that BHO's own Pakistani/Muslim connections were instrumental in bringing down Osama; I guess there's something to be said for having a closet of Muslin in the White House.)

Anyway, I'm fairly confident this is what Osama bin Laden is going through right now.

In all seriousness, though, I'm glad President Obama got this message through:

"We must also reaffirm that the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam," Obama said. "Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims."

It was no easy thing for Bush43 to make clear that Islam is not America's enemy, and he deserves credit for that. I wish he hadn't referred to the War on Terror as a "crusade." [face palm]

Anyway, if you'd like to learn more about how Islam views terror, see this post.

PBS Newshour on the economic battles faced by returning vets

I've mentioned this many times, but I'll say it again: PBS's Newshour is probably the single best source of objective and comprehensive information on news and current issues in the United States.

They turn their attention to the challenges faced by veterans as they separate from the US military after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan and enter a very tough job market where their skills and experience are not always well advertised or appreciated.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.