Veterans Day

[PringleTree]

On this Veterans Day, I thought I'd share one of my favorite passages. This, by noted Civil War author Bruce Catton (1899-1978) can be found in the forward/intro of "Mr. Lincoln's Army" (1962) which was the first volume in his trilogy on the history of the Army of the Potomac. Catton reflected on how he remembered the Civil War veterans he knew as a child:

"As a small boy I had known a number of these men in their old age; they were grave, dignified, and thoughtful, with long white beards and a general air of being pillars of the community. They lived in rural Michigan in the pre-automobile age, and for the most part they had never been fifty miles away from the farm or dusty village streets; yet once, ages ago, they had been everywhere and had seen everything, and nothing that happened to them thereafter meant anything much. All that was real had taken place when they were young; everything after that had simply been a process of waiting for death, which did not frighten them much--they had seen it inflicted in the worst possible way on boys who had not bargained for it, and they had enough of the old-fashioned religion to believe without any question that when they passed over they would simply be rejoining men and ways of living which they had known long ago..."

[1967redrider]

Very thought-provoking read, I can only imagine. But I'm grateful to all who have served, thank you for protecting this great nation of ours.

[jerryd6818]

Marine Corps Birthday yesterday, Veterans Day today. Something for everyone. Ooh Rah!!

[edgy46]

Thank you to all veterans, on this your special day.

[garddogg56]

Thank you for your service to this great country

[moz19]

Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for your service.