Veterans Day

As I enjoyed my day off today, I couldn’t overlook the true reason for the holiday.  Today is a day to honor those that have served.  Their sense of duty, their courage, their selflessness overwhelms me.

My grandfather was a member of the 106th Infantry in World War II.  He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, one of the largest and bloodiest battles Americans fought in WWII.  They fought hard, but were outnumbered and injured as Axis forces closed in on them.  It soon became apparent that his unit was going to be overtaken by enemy forces.  Although they didn’t have much time, they smashed their compasses against trees, buried weapons and jewelry, and finished all the food and water they had with them, because the enemy forces would take everything from them if they needed to surrender.

It turns out the reality of surrender was worse than anticipated.  Their coats and heavy clothes were taken.  They were made to walk for miles and miles in brutal temperatures until they finally reached train cars.  The men were then put in train cars and headed to places unknown.  They were given a loaf of bread which was supposed to feed several people for multiple days.  They eventually arrived in a POW camp where they were underfed, overworked, and improperly clothed.  Once they were woken up in the middle of the night, and immediately told to go outside and scatter in a field.  A few minutes later, shots were randomly fired into dark field where the men stood.  The men spent all night in that field that night because every time they thought the shooting was over, it would start again.

After months of torture, Allied forces arrived at his camp and my grandfather was taken to France for several weeks to rehab.  When he could finally make calls, his first call was to my grandmother.  At that point my grandmother had been provided no other information other than that my grandfather was missing.  In letters I have seen, it is apparent that the military had no idea if my grandfather was living or dead.   Thinking it was just a family friend on the other end of the phone, and considering she was running out the door, my grandmother almost didn’t take that call.  It was her mother, my great-grandmother, that convinced her that call “might be important”.

My grandparents were married for 63 years, until my grandfather passed away in 2006.

Before he passed away, I asked my grandfather why he would join the service and know that you are going to be sent into battle.  He said that it just wasn’t something you thought about.  It was the right thing to do.  He felt a sense of duty to his country.

To all those who serve or have served – Thank you for serving.  To the families who are left behind to wait, worry, pray, and continue some sense of normalcy – Thank you for your sacrifice.