Time moves fast for our older veterans.

If you have one in the family you don’t live near by or get to see much, take the time to give them a nice long call.

I tried to call my Uncle that married my father’s sister. He was in one of the units that drove the Engineer bridges in Korea. No answer. He is in such poor health I don’t think he can get up to answer a phone if someone is not there with him.

I called my father’s oldest brother. The last one living among his siblings. Born in 1930, he was caught trying to join the Army faking his age for WWII. He was successful the second time, trained in early EOD type stuff at APG, then glider/jump School and off to the 101st. He got there after the fighting was over, and they shipped home. He went back to APG and then Okinawa and then back to the states. He saw recruiting ads for the Rangers and when through basically Ranger School class number two. He and other graduates of Alpha Ranger Company were put in 7th Ranger Company and told they would stay at Benning to be cadre. He and some others were not very happy about this, they got together with the Company Commander and First Sergeant and managed to get shipped to Korea to be replacements for combat losses in the in country formed 8th Ranger Company. But were shortly split up after that to 5th Ranger Company, the 187th, etc.
He got home, concluded his enlistment, and got out.

An uncle married to my mother’s sister joined the NG in the 1960s so he would not get drafted for VN. He did not get a call.

My FIL tried like hell not to get drafted, and once he did fought tooth and nail to get any course, training, etc. that got him a stateside assignment and managed to finish his time without going to VN. No call.

Now, when all is said and done, Memorial Day is to honor those fallen in combat. I am not saying not to do that. But, you may have some older friends and relatives that went to combat and made it back. Soon you won’t be able to see or talk to them anymore.