Veterans Day

[Guest guest]

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, a day signifying

the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th

month of 1918.

 

Today is Veterans Day .. to Hell with the politicians .. folks will

have their time to vote later.

 

Today is a day to remember those who have served and those still

serving on American soil and around the world.

 

It is day to say thank you to any veteran you know or meet today.

 

There are but a hand full of gentlemen and ladies alive today who

served in the air and on the beaches, ships and battlefields of World

War II. I attended our Veterans Day Parade yesterday in Paris, TN.

Our Grand Marshal for the parade was such a fellow .. 84 year old

Ralph Benjamin " Ben " Routin .. a modest man who became a POW in

Germany when on his 22d bombing mission his plane was shot down. When

Ben was notified that he had been selected to be the Grand Marshal, he

said, " It's an honor; whether I deserve it or not is something else. "

I think he deserved it.

 

There are the GIs and sailors who served in the cold and the mud of

Korea. It won't be long until these folks will be selected as Grand

Marshals.

 

There are the many who served a tour or more in the jungles of Vietnam.

 

Finally there are those who serve or have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

 

And we must not forget those veterans who have served stateside or

during peacetime over the years.

 

These veterans committed years of their lives — either by volunteering

or by being drafted — to serve their country.

 

To each of these veterans who have served and to every veteran serving

today — I thank you!

 

And when I cast my vote in the next election I will not forget that it

is to YOU that I owe thanks for this right!