It's Memorial Day. I have alot of random thots about today. I am very grateful to those I never met who paid the ultimate price for me. They never met me, and probably never even knew I existed but they paid that same price for me as they paid for their own Mom or sister. They paid the ultimate price so I could sit here and type anything I want. I can be ugly and critical of our goverment, and with their life they paid the cost so that I won't get hauled off by thugs in the middle of the night who think I have committed a crime if i don't spout the "party line". I'm free to sit here and be a jerk if i wanted to. I don't.
Personally, I don't know anyone that died in service to us. But a very dear girlfriend, Carol lost her husband Chris Braun in the first Gulf War. He was a pilot in the South China sea when his plane went down. I always think of her and her daughters on Memorial Day. It's got to be a difficult day for them and I will remember them in my prayers. Not only did Chris lose his life, but Carol lost a beloved husband and her daughters lost a lifetime to know their Dad. It's as close as I come to personally grieving for the soldiers that gave it all so that I can be a jerk if i want to.

I stole the following quirp from Debbie's facebook post, it was worth the crime....
"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go."-Major Michael O'Donnell- In remembrance of those who gave all.

Years ago during the floods in NW WA where I lived at the time I was a Red Cross volunteer. My job was to help the people that had lost EVERYTHING to the wild rivers to get beds, new underwear, some clothes to wear, diapers, formula, basic toiletries and what ever they needed to at least survive until things could be sorted out.
I remember a man that came to sit at my desk. We introduced ourselves and I asked him how I could help him the most that day. He was stoic, and brave (or maybe it was excessive pride, I can't be sure) but he told me that during the night the river had risen so fast and they were evacuated quickly. Just as they were evacuated the river took his shack and tossed it into the river along with his leg. It was his prostestic leg. He was a Vet and it was the only fake leg he had. He told me of the fight he'd had with the VA administraion to get that one. They had told him he didn't qualify for a leg, even tho he'd left his REAL leg in Vietnam. If I remember right, the story got a bit complicated. Something about he was "eligible" for a replacement leg only every 10 years? He'd had to fight hard to get this leg and was very scared that he'd not get a replacement for the one the river took.
Thru the process I learned about his living conditions. He lived in a shack upriver with no electricity. He ran an electrical cord from a neighbor's house a few hours a night, (with approval) and lived a very meager life up there in the woods separated from the community.
We will never know why he chose to live up there, or like that....... But I remember the heartache I felt when he explained how he lost his leg. I remember that he was proud of his service in Vietnam and I remember that I was sad for the way he was treated in return. Our Veterans should not be homeless, they shouldn't have to fight for the medical treaments, psychological services or the financial assistance needed when they are called up to serve us. We can and should do better by these people. They earned it and we will be defined by how we treat them.
I remember a Pastor telling us years ago that when that day comes that we meet our Maker it won't matter who we prayed to, what prayers we recited, if we went to church each week but we will be judge by how we treated the less, the lost, the lame and those left behind. I think this is exactly what he was talking about.
To all those servicemen that fought the fight so that I could sit here and be a jerk if i wanted to ( i don't) I offer my grateful appreciation. I wish I had more to give you.