Jewells of Thought

Starting this week I may have a lot of Veterans day articles and messages out. It is very personal for me to do so. Specifically when America’s young people don’t know about the Holocaust or what our nations finest did to serve our Country in World War II or really any war.

I have direct cause and effect which led me to study history in general. I would be remiss to say it was all on my own. Both sides of my family have had a sense of duty to God, Country and Family. Curating history has many forms genealogy is one and the Bishops had it mapped out before I was born it made it fairly easy for me. Yet not quite so when my Grandpa Leo didn’t speak much about his service time and imprisonment. Granted it would have been difficult to explain to 5 little girls and his baby boy.

Grandpa Freddy also knew I needed to interview his brother-in-law. Grandpa had a way of pointing me in the right direction. Uncle Tom did need to talk about his time in Vietnam and Papaw thought I was the one to listen. In ten years I haven’t shared his stories with anyone outside of our family, except for one little article in the Sullivan Newspaper but I think it was mostly an overview of his service not individual stories.

At a time of division in our Country I hope we can take some semblance from Congress finally putting down their major differences in electing a Speaker. Our Veterans are our Country’s treasures and we should hold them in high esteem for what they have done for this Country and for us as American citizens.

You may not be sobbing like I have while writing this morning already. But I do pray you stand up for the National Anthem when it’s played for them.

I cannot say this enough please talk to the Veterans in your life and listen to them. Stories are not meant to be held in secret unless there are other things involved. However, not knowing the stories like my Grandpa’s or my Uncle Tom’s is why young people are so ignorant of the actions of war and of Communism.