Remembering. Memorial Day 2024

My father rarely spoke of the horrors of war, preferring to dwell on the positive things he found in military life, like the comradery.

However, at the same time, as a member of Patton’s 3rd Army, I know he survived some intense combat, including the legendary Battle of The Bulge (from which, I believe, he inherited his extreme hate of he cold). I also know that it changed him — as it did my uncle and ALL of my friends who survived combat.

He did share with me ONE thing about war and his greatest fear. For some reason, nothing seemed to frighten him more than to find a relatively new combat boot only to discover a human foot in it (the force of intense explosions can cleanly separate joints, hence the expression; blown out of his boots).

I hope that I haven’t been too graphic but I wanted to take a moment to remember those who died so young, in so many ways, in so many wars, in so many far away places.

Remember their sacrifice.

Always.