My Memorial Day column

[gd357]

Thank you Rocky for sharing that. It certainly puts things into perspective. Also thanks to Thargor for enlightening us on the conditions under which the fighting took place.

My grandfather fought in the Phillipines, and both of his brothers were also deployed, in Africa and Europe. One of them was at hand when several concentration camps were liberated. Two of them are deceased, and only one great-uncle remains. While they were able to discuss some of the things that they went through later in life, it was clear that it took something from each of them. My father still has some difficulty discussing Vietnam, and the effects of the time he spent there sometimes show themselves to this day.

To all the veterans here, and those currently serving in the military, thank you for your service. We would be remiss to forget the sacrifices made by those who served us all, as easy as it may be with the burdens of everyday life.

gd