Today was an important day for alot of people. For those who served and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The Armed Forces have always played a huge role in the lives of my family members. My wife and I are both USAF vets and our families have a long history of serving in all branches.
You guys probably guessed by the last name, but I have alot of "Italian" in my family. In fact, most of my family before both of my parents were born came straight from Italy. The harshness they received when coming here through Ellis Island was awful, but it didn't stop any of them from going to war.
My Uncle Mario was a Captain in the US Army and landed his men on the beach at Normandy on D-Day. He got there at 6 foot 5 inches and about 240 pounds, he took three bullets in the spine and came back in a full body cast weighing only 165 pounds and never walked again. Every picture I have of him is in a wheelchair and he is smiling in every single one. Perhaps that smile of his was the pride in knowing that the bullets he took saved two of his men's lives.
My Grandfather never talked about his experiences in the Army except that he was proud to have been in Anti-Aircraft Artilliary. He never talked about it and probably for good reason, he carried a bullet in his head from WWII until he died in 1977.
Both of these guys had thick accents and some of you would wonder what the hell they were saying. The fact that they were born foreign did not keep them from putting their lives on the line for the USA.
The only reason I bring this up is because I took a look at the list of soldiers killed in this new war and when you count the number of hispanic names it is very clear that the same thing is happening today that happened back then. People are coming here and being treated like second class citizens, but still consider themselves American enough to fight for you and I and those who are too weak to fight for themselves.
Let's also remember the guts it takes to volunteer for a war. All of our soldiers are voluteers and are the sole reason that most of the lives of our young poeple are full of choices and not full of draft notices.
Okay, I am done.
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