interesting article on veterans day

[stevep]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/opinion/12rubin.html?hp

it was not many years ago i remember reading about the wife of the last civil war veteran died... not that long ago really.
the circle of history

[rdparadise]

:beer:

Bob

[Too Tall]

Right on Steve. That made good early am Starbucks reading :)

[J.Greene]

In the late 80's, when I was in high school, I met George P. Black. I was skateboarding back from a local pond, fly rod in hand when he stopped me and asked if I'd like to fish the St. Johns river witn him sometime. He had recently moved from Virginia to our hood to be closer to his family. That started a friendship that lasted until I went to college. George was a veteran of both great wars and had some amazing stories. He must have been 85 or so then but his memory was sharp. I had the honor to interview him for a world history project. I don't remember many of the details other than WWI was something he never really came to terms with. His stories from WWII were not as dramatic iirc. He was a secretary for a general who was not near combat in the European theatre.

I still have the bamboo flyrod he gave me. It was a Japanese rod built soon after WWII while he was stationed in Japan. When I drive past my old hood I still see his old house on the corner. I regret that when I went to college I got too busy to ever stop by. George was a good kind man that deserves to be honored on Veterans day.

JG

[rwsaunders]

I was on our weekly Sunday morning ride yesterday and my riding buddy of 20 years, who was out in the 31 degree weather slugging it out with me. The other regulars backed out due to the fog and low temps, which I totally understand.

About halfway through the ride, I wished him a happy Veteran's Day, as he did his time in Southeast Asia in 1969 when I was still in grade school. He paused for a bit and said thanks and he told me that he would pass on my wishes to the friends that didn't make it back with him.

Hats off to the men and women who served and continue to serve this country.

[Viper]

Betsy Ross FTW.

All our Veterans, living and passed, thank you.

And anyone who wants to politicize the day, go adjust your downtube barrels and rear derailleur* instead.

God Bless America.

* = http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer.html

[CNY rider]

I was doing my internship in 1994 and admitted a man who was 102 years old.
He was mentally sharp, and not particularly ill so we got to talking.
He clearly remembered knowing men who had fought in the Civil War.
It really drove home the relative youth of our nation.