This column is to commemorate those who have fought and died defending a cause they believed in.
This column is to commemorate those who have fought and died defending a cause they may not have believed in.
This column is to commemorate those who volunteered for military service and fought and died.
This column is to commemorate those who were drafted into service and fought and died.
I especially want to remember Jeffrey Borr from Grand Rapids, a friend who died in Vietnam.
When I go to the Vietnam veterans memorial in DC, I touch the names of people I knew, and I cry uncontrollably. If you have never seen "The Wall" in person, it's hard to describe how deeply moving it is. Seeing a photo of it just isn't the same at all. You really have to walk along it to feel its impact.
The first time I went to Italy, it was a group trip arranged by my father's cousin Leonard, who served there in WWII. Leonard wanted his family to see Italy as he knew it from serving there. We met people he is still friends with there, who view him as a hero. We went to the monastery that sheltered and hid him and a few other soldiers. We saw the field where Leonard was shot and injured. We went to an American WWII cemetery. We went to a German cemetery. There were a few people on the trip who didn't want to go into the German cemetery. Leonard responded, "They were just kids doing what their government told them to, just like we were."
This column is to commemorate all the kids who have died doing what their government told them to.
Recent Comments