I was reminded today of an event back 5 years ago, thought I'd share

[moparedtn]

This popped up on my facebook (save it, I know I know...) "memories" today and I'm grateful it did. I had experienced something really special that day 5 years ago and written about it on FB, so I figured I'd share it with you all here as well.
Hope you enjoy it...

September 13, 2015
I like to say "I ain't nobody" a lot.
Well, these folks ARE somebody:
When I was at the dealer the other day, waiting on them to do a recall on the company truck, a nice elderly couple came in and sat down next to me.
We chatted about this and that and the gentleman pointed at a new, full dresser Jeep and said "those aren't anything like what we drove back then" and gave sort of a distant, wistful look at nothing in particular, lost in thought.

His wife gave him one of those knowing glances and I sensed right away he had served in the military, so I asked...

"Yessir, we drove those Willys things under Patton himself in Europe" he replied. I asked what branch and he said he had "climbed a lot of poles and slung a lot of wires" in the army.
I made some light-hearted joke about how he must have felt like a sitting duck for the enemy snipers up on those poles and he laughed, nodded, and said he'd been hit more than once, but never grievously.

I asked if I could shake his hand and the question took him aback. I feared at first I had somehow offended him or gone where I shouldn't have - but then his wife said "nobody ever asks that of him anymore."
I was stunned and didn't know what to do at that point, afraid I'd screwed up...

Then I realized the activity around us in the showroom had stopped and everyone was eavesdropping on the conversation now. Nobody else approached....but they were listening.
He sensed my nervousness and struggled to his feet and walked right up to me and stuck out his hand.
"It's my honor" he said.
Blew me away.
I jumped up, grabbed his hand gingerly and shook it, one of those long, slow, respectful handshakes. He didn't want to let go, seemed like. It was my turn to speak.
"Are you kidding me? It's MY honor, sir. You're a damn hero!"

A young man, seated nearby, looked on with a sort of nonchalant smirk on his face, as if he was amused at the antics of us two.
I continued, gesturing in all directions so that the young man would understand - "NONE of this would exist now if not for the heroics of men like this gentleman. NONE of it. Do you understand?"
The young fella wiped the smirk off his face and silently nodded, understanding finally what the fuss was all about.

Well, we had a great chat, me asking all sorts of questions and the gentleman patiently answering in all modesty, seemingly slightly embarrassed at the attention.
His wife shed a tear or two.
I shed a tear or two.
She thanked me. I wouldn't have any of it and instead thanked them again for their sacrifices.

Sadly, nobody else came over to them while I was there, however.
Activities resumed like nothing had happened. I was ashamed of the others in the room, although the little group of folks sitting around us did respectfully join in the conversation with us eventually.

It was a good day to be alive and there at that exact time.
I left with my heart full and feeling quite humbled - and knowing I'd probably never see them again.
(Update today: I haven't, regretfully....)

 

[33 IMP]

Why is my vision blurry all of a sudden?
Thank you sirs, both of you.

 

[Imperial One]

Nicely said. The last of the "greatest generation" are regretfully few and far between.

 

[70chall440]

Although I myself served 26 years in the Army, I truly enjoy spending time with older veterans. I am on an email chain with a bunch of VN guys and have lunch with 2 of them about once a month. We are all retired Special Forces guys but it is fascinating to talk to these guys and while we have a lot of common experiences, they have an huge collection of exceptionally interesting experiences and a very different outlook on life than is currently in vogue in the US.

 

[moparedtn]

Although I myself served 26 years in the Army, I truly enjoy spending time with older veterans. I am on an email chain with a bunch of VN guys and have lunch with 2 of them about once a month. We are all retired Special Forces guys but it is fascinating to talk to these guys and while we have a lot of common experiences, they have an huge collection of exceptionally interesting experiences and a very different outlook on life than is currently in vogue in the US.

I can't thank all of you enough - but I think (ok, I pray) there's still a majority of folks out here who acknowledge
and appreciate it, too.

 

[hanks73340]

Thanks for this uplifting story. The problem today is that none of this stuff is in the history books anymore and not taught in the schools. These kids do not know **** about our past. The other day, this stupid 18 year old girl was miffed as to why all of the coverage that happened on 9/11/2001 was on t.v. for the anniversary specials. She did not even realize what this was all about. I just wanted to smack her but had to walk away.

 

[70chall440]

Heres a very sad fact; kids today know all about 420 (4/20) as it relates to smoking weed but many do not know about 9/11 let along Dec 7, June 6th, etc. Pretty sad, but I do see more younger people taking an interest at least near me.

 

[moparedtn]

Heres a very sad fact; kids today know all about 420 (4/20) as it relates to smoking weed but many do not know about 9/11 let along Dec 7, June 6th, etc. Pretty sad, but I do see more younger people taking an interest at least near me.

Our public indoctrination/assimilation errrr I mean education system doesn't teach the kids what they need to know about civics, history, any of that so that they have that sense of importance taught to them anymore.
That royally pisses me off....we're losing our country's great heritage thanks to the leftist agenda propagated in our taxpayer-funded schools!

 

[70chall440]

Out public indoctrination/assimilation errrr I mean education system doesn't teach the kids what they need to know
about civics, history, any of that so that they have that sense of importance taught to them anymore.
That royally pisses me off....we're losing our country's great heritage thanks to the leftist agenda propagated in
our taxpayer-funded schools!

I completely agree and attribute it to the "milk toast" theory; this is where those who were generally in the band, on the debate team, or in more recent times stayed indoors playing video games grow up and degrees in teaching or otherwise become teachers. They have systematically been infiltrating the educational system for decades and have been slowly but aggressively removing everything they are uncomfortable with (anything related with alpha type people such as war). Parents for their part (I include myself here) really didn't pay that much attention because we were busy trying to earn a living and never realized that our kids were being molded through the elimination of many things essential in a society; an understanding of history, a sense of societal construct (where when you run your mouth you get your *** kicked), etc. Kids are being brought up in a world of instant gratification, no consequences for their actions and no personal responsibility (always someone or something to blame). Point in case; when most of us were kids and our bike chain broke, we had to fix it ourselves, no days they just get a new bike or take it to someone (assuming they even have a bike). Spanking has been outlawed pretty much everywhere with parents facing steep penalties for engaging in it which has not been lost on the kids.

Think about it, everything that is banned, outlawed, highly discouraged are all the things that the beta kids suffered through. While I do not condone the mistreatment of others for any reason (took some years to reach that position), we as a country have gone completely the other direction with the direct determent of our youth.

All this said, life is like a partially filled water balloon; when you squeeze on side the other side expands. So in this case you will now have parents going well out of their way to educate their kids on a variety of matters and issues, the problem is that in many cases the lessons will not be accurate or they will be skewed severely one way or another. So, instead of all kids being taught the actual history, now it will be left to entities outside of school. I believe the net result will be basically what we are seeing now, a less educated group of youth but there will be a wider variety of "understanding" depending on the parents/family and over time it will create exactly what the Beta's are trying to destroy.

 

[Budnicks]

another sad story