Veterans Day

America just celebrated Veterans Day, or a better word, I think, is "remembered." This day's observance brought me to a new awareness of just what we are remembering.

Back in October, I attended, with my husband, his Navy ship reunion. It was there my new awareness began. As I sat with him as he talked with others who served with him, I sometimes felt a little alone, so I picked up some scrapbooks others had brought to the reunion and began reading. I can always lose myself in a book. Well, these books were not the kind you can get lost in, but the kind in which we find ourselves.

This particular ship was involved in WWII and took a devastating hit in battle. As I read those books and saw the results of war, I realized that in another time and place, had this happened to the ship, my husband might have been on board and could have lost his life as many did as a result of this hit. I could not control my tears.

On Tuesday night before Veterans Day, we attended a veterans dinner at our senior center in town. There we heard stories from men who served, WWII stories of Normandy Beach and the massive loss of life there. Another told about his ship having to leave it's position at some point in the war and another ship standing in for her. During this stand-in time, the position was bombed. The man who told the story wept for those who died in his place. I, again, could not hold back my tears.

The veteran who survived Normandy Beach, reminded us that the movie "Saving Private Ryan", would be shown on November 11, and urged all of us to watch it because "that's exactly how it was." I struggled with my decision, and in the end I watched the movie. It was a horrible movie and a wonderful movie, so difficult to watch. However my decision was based on the loss of my brother in the Battle of The Bulge in WWII. My tears flowed as I watched "exactly how it was", thinking all the time: If my brother could go to battle and lose his life in something so horrible, I can at least watch it.

I will forevermore observe Veterans Day with new reverence and heartfelt prayers for those who serve!