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. I attained a Atomic top secret clearance and became and cryptographer in communications. We were tracking Soviet submarines off the coast of Florida in the Bahama Island. So I spent about 2 and half years in a tropical paradise. In between tracking submarines I learned to scuba dive, learned spelunking. Represented the US Navy in the world wide spearfishing competition. Learned how to handle and shoot a 45 and M! accurately. Spent a week every couple of months living and sleeping on the beach. Learned to water ski. Spear fished barracuda, shark, tarpon, moray eel, and many kind of edible fish Started a rock and roll band to play for the enlisted men and officers and wound up playing for about 2000 people at a US space satellite success party. Occasionally take a trips to Miami Beach or Nassau in the Bahamas. etc, etc, etc . . . . . . . . So it took a number of years of reading, hearing stories from people who had seen action for me to realize what heroes those are who knowingly go into battle willing to forfeit their lives for their belief in this nation. I can't estimate how much money I've donated to various veteran causes through the years. I sometime think it may come from a little feeling of guilt because of what I experienced. The men I admire the most are those who fought in WWII. I just can't imagine what they experienced at Iwo Jima and at Normandy. I had tears running down my face the whole time when I visited Normandy. Same when I visited Hawaii USS Arizona Memorial. I've only watched Saving Private Ryan once and won't ever watch it again. I live near two of the biggest WWII cemeteries. I avoid driving by them because I tear up every time. Heroes ... TRUE heroes.. every one of them.

Hi Jim,

I as well signed up at 17 in the US Navy. I ended up on the 7th Fleet Flag Ship off the coast of Vietnam as well as other places. Loved it.

I don't think that anything I could type would come close to matching your words above. Good job, Thank You for your SERVICE and have a great weekend.

Les

I may or may not have shared this before. As most of you know I am a life long independent biker. A 99%-er if you will LOL. I would still be a biker, and I still enjoy riding for a very short time, but what my fishing partner and personal physician tells me is likely PTSD from a BAD wreck in the early 2000s causes me to quickly stop enjoying the ride. A short ride into town to visit the post office is fine, but before I can consider a second stop I find myself headed home on autopilot. I can't wait to get the bike back in the garage and shut down. I still have 3 bikes, but I have not had one out of the shop or garage in 3-4 years.

Anyway, some years back a buddy of mine who was one of the chapter founding members of VNV MC Chapter G (Ghost Chapter) often asked me to hang around. I was never a prospect, and was never a prospect for a prospect. I wasn't really a hang-a-round either. I am not qualified to be a member of VNV MC or Legacy Vets MC. I just went because my buddy and I liked to ride together. Except on official sanctioned runs we would always run side by side. On sanctioned runs I had to ride behind everybody due to protocol or I would get disinvited. Yes, I had to ride behind even the hang-a-rounds. LOL. One year the Chapter P (could have been the SA I forget) specifically invited me and a few other people to ride along for their Memorial Day run. Basically visiting cemeteries and finishing off at an American Legion hall. They wanted us to swell their numbers for visibility sake. I figured why not. Its as good of a way to honor dead veterans as any, and I would get to spend the day riding my motorcycle. I wore my regular warm weather gear. Jeans, long sleeve loose fitting t-shirt, and a denim vest with just an American flag patch and ABATE of Arizona patch ON THE FRONT. I never had any patch on the back of my vest.

Slight interlude here. Recently on social media a few people sought to preempt "incorrect" ways of observing memorial days with lists of rules or prejudgments. I found it to be a little bit disengenuous judgmentalism. Kind of like the woke/cancel/sjw culture of today exudes in abundance. From what I saw of most older real combat veterans they will tolerate, except, or even rejoice in any sincere recognition of those who didn't make it back. I posted a slightly different, ut equally accurate version of this story in reply each time I saw one of those lists.

At our first stop on the Memorial Day run I had a little old lady walk up to me stick out her hand and thank me. I'm not a veteran either combat or otherwise. I was embarrassed. I wasn't trying to represent myself as anything I wasn't but I also didn't want to embarrass the little old lady. I st6uck my hand out in return shook her hand and told her I hope she has a fantastic life... or something like that.

Immediately afterwards I cornered a couple of the old VNV guys and asked them what I should do in this circumstance. They said, "Do exactly what you did. Don't embarrass the little old lady, and if she has any questions guide her over to one of the guys you know is a vet. If pressed say you are just here to show support."

Now I am sure if I started regaling that little old lady with false tales of glory and heroism the best I could have hoped for was a quick invitation to leave, but they had no issue with that little old lady thanking me. Memorial Day is not a day to thank veterans. Its a day to show appreciation for those who came back in a body bag or didn't come back at all. She was doing it wrong, but her intent was sincere. There was no need to embarrass her for thanking a living vet or for directing that thanks unknowingly to somebody who was not a vet. She couldn't show the honest appreciation to those in the ground. Or maybe not to the extent she wanted to so she showed her appreciation to the living.

It happened a couple more times that day, and I was uncomfortable, but when I looked around nobody was particularly watching me to make sure I "did it right either." I was there to show my appreciation for those veterans who gave everything, and that was enough.

Remember that those people in the ground here and abroad. Intact or scattered with the winds were real people. Some were assholes. Some might have been saints. Most were just like you, and they gave their life for you. They were your mom, your dad, your brother and your best friend. Some were tat crotchety guy down the street that nobody liked. All of them went to war for you so you could have the life you. Some may have appreciated knowing you hang your head in remembrance. I suspect many really would rather you gather friends and family in the backyard for a barbecue. Don't let anybody else tell you how to remember those who gave their lives for you. Just remember that they did.

Good story Bob, The little old lady was doing what she felt she needed to do because it was right. There need not be any second guessing or whatever. I will thank you for showing up and paying your respects to those that have fallen. Good job!!

I don't remember if I typed this story here or not in the past. My Dad was in the Battle of the Bulge. He never talked about his on duty days. One day a number of years ago before he had passed my Mom called me and said she got a call from a guy by the name of Steve that was the son of one my Dad's Platoon guys. He said he was in the area and wanted to know if he could stop in and say hello. I asked when was he going to be there, my Mom said Saturday morning but I didn't need to be there. I said, Oh yes I do!! See you Saturday Mom!!

I arrived on Saturday and about an hour later Steve shows up. With introductions all around Steve then told a story. BTW at the time my Dad had Parkinson's and Alzheimer's so his yesterday memories were lost. But, memories from 50 years before were sharp as a tack!!!

Steve said that his Dad had died a year or so before. He said that his Dad was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge. He was shot in the leg and was down. The German gunner was about the finish him off and my Dad came around the tank and took out the German. His Dad was then sent home. His Dad and my Dad had exchanged letters over the years and when his Dad had died he and his sisters were going through some old stuff his Dad kept in a closet. He found the letters and the story of what had happened. He said that he wanted to meet the man that saved his Dad's life because if he hadn't he would not be here today!!

It was a VERY SPECIAL MOMENT!! Even now, trying to type this for me is difficult!!!

There is a whole lot more to the that special moment and after that I may type at another time but not today!!

Thanks for reading!!

Les

Gentlemen, there are a million tales from military life, some bloody, some funny, but no matter, each happened to a fellow human.. Respect is due to any person willing to serve and uphold the honor of the United States when called upon.. RTS (USAF 70-76)

My point was just that we should not be judgemental about how people choose to observe memorial day or look for reasons to be offended by it. There is nothing wrong with the little old lady thanking somebody she thought might be a living vet, and there is nothing wrong with having a backyard BBQ. Just so long as you remember those who died so you could.

Thanks Bob Thanks Les