Happy Monday! More importantly, ‘Thank You’ to my family and friends who are Veterans.

Tomorrow is Veterans’ Day and each year I wonder what I can write that will be different than what I’ve written before. I’m still not sure this will be it, but here are some thoughts from Saturday’s Veterans’ Day parade.

This year was one of the nicest weather-wise for a parade and I think that might’ve been the reason there were more people than usual standing along Main Street, beneath the banners with pictures of local members of the Armed Forces. I can imagine the Veterans were grateful to see the clusters of bystanders all along the way, and to hear our calls of ‘Thank you for your service.’ as they rode by.

It was especially heartening to see so many parents with young children. They encouraged them to wave to the honored guests driving, or being driven in, gorgeous classic cars along the parade route. I hope the kids understood at least on some level the significance of the parade and the people in those cars. Candy was thrown by some of the units, but one Veteran handed out small American flags to the children. The flags were accepted with as much excitement as the mini Snickers and Starbursts that fell at their feet, and were waved for the rest of the parade. What I noticed even more was the look between the elderly gentleman and the children as he handed each one a flag; a connection was made in that brief moment with both generations smiling for probably different reasons. I hope the kids remember that gentleman and his genuine look of affection for them whenever they wave their flag.

In years past, there was at least a small handful of WWII Veterans in the annual parade, usually riding in a minivan from a local nursing facility. This year I think I saw one. And I was surprised to see him. The number of Veterans from the Korean Conflict, my Dad’s theater of service, is dwindling, too. I wonder if those standing along the parade route, and the young members of the Jr. ROTC units marching in it, see these Veterans in the same way my generation once saw those from WWII–with a sense of awe and as heroes but also as a part of our American history that’s mostly understood only through textbooks. Even though I had two uncles who fought in WWII, one landing on the shores of Normandy, they never talked about those days, not even to each other when they and my aunts shared an apartment after the war. Do today’s high school students–if they even get to the Korean Conflict in their history books–have the same sense of detachment from that era that we had from the 40s?

The men and women who fought in Vietnam made up most of the parade units. While some rode their Harley’s in their leathers or drove classic cars they obviously took great pride in, Hubby and I noticed they are showing their age now, too. Rather how the WWII Veterans looked to us when we were much younger ourselves! Vietnam was the war I followed in real time through the newspaper and daily headlines and body counts, not through a lecture in history class. That war was real. The parade was 30 minutes long with close to 60 units and this group of Veterans seemed to be having the time of their life on a beautiful sunny afternoon. They were laughing, waving at everyone, joking with each other, honking their horns, revving their engines–all to the delight of everyone watching. I hope they are here for many parades to come.

There were only a couple from the War on Terrorism years and I wondered why. Maybe many of them are still serving?

The sense of joy, pride, and gratitude permeated the air from one side of the street across to the other. Even the cars with signs printed with the names of deceased relatives, either KIA or deceased after years of service and life back in the States, were decorated and festive in red, white, and blue streamers and flowers. Family members smiled and waved through the windows.

It was a good day for a parade and a fitting tribute for our local Veterans.

As always, I also think of those soldiers, marines, and airmen/women who either don’t return, or return while leaving a part of themselves on the field.

Anita Miller’s moving sculpture depicts this and has brought relief and release to many. To read more about this sculpture, go to Lima Company Memorial

Tomorrow and next week our Grands will have programs celebrating them too. We can never thank our servicemen and servicewomen too much.

Snow has arrived this week for many friends and family and I have to admit I’m a bit jealous, all I get are freeze warnings for tonight. If you’re one of those lucky ones with a dusting or more, I hope you’re keeping warm and enjoying it. Have a great week everyone, I’ll be back on Monday and hope you are, too.