at 11:11 this morning the ships Captain called for a minute of silence and reflection. Silence descended. All around me there were young people with curious expressions on their faces just standing there while grey haired heads all around me were bowed in remembrance. Most than one button hole was sporting a poppy purchased from young soldiers yesterday in Bridgetown.
It was a long time ago that war that was not the Great War, for no war is great. It was also not the War to end all Wars. Those of us with age and experience can think of all those lost to battle, wounds and illness.
I am grateful to be a Veteran no longer on active service. Military service is best performed by those young and fit.
May we as elders have sense, compassion and a commitment that does not allow us to squander young lives for foolish reasons and pride.
To those on my list that have served – I’ll be thinking of you on Veteran’s Day. Don’t second guess why we are still walking around and some of our friends aren’t – we just are…
The Mansions of the Lord
To fallen soldiers let us sing,
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord
No more weeping,
No more fight,
No friends bleeding through the night,
Just Devine embrace,
Eternal light,
In the Mansions of the Lord
Where no mothers cry
And no children weep,
We shall stand and guard
Though the angels sleep,
Oh, through the ages let us keep
The Mansions of the Lord
Written by Nick Glennie-Smith, with words by Randall Wallace
“We have shared the incommunicable experience of war. We have felt – we still feel – the passion of life to its top. In our youths, our hearts were touched with fire.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes
May we never have a Commander in Chief who lightly throws lives into danger to fulfill their personal political agenda. SOme of the uninformed remarks by the GOP candidates makes me personally glad I will be retired before there could be a change of command, but at the same time fearful for the future of my country. These are perilous times, and someone who prides himself on his ignorance in world affairs, or another who throws out absurd figures and numbers without any reality whatsoever, well, I hope the electorate believes that our country deserves better. You would never fly with a pilot who is learning as he goes, so why is ignorance of the political process or substance a plus for a Presidential candidate?
Amen.
Absolutely