Remembering Our Military on Memorial Day

[PP]

There are 22,700 living Veterans in the US. Sorry, but I couldn't find the number of Veterans that gave their all for this great country, Will

[mikke60]

22700. You must have missed a zero or two I think.  Proud father of a vet.  mike

[HighTechRedneck]

Three zeroes actually.  According to 2011 Census estimates there were 22.8 million living American Veterans.  Often times data in that magnitude is reported in thousands.  So 22,700 thousands would be 22.7 Million.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/national_security_veterans_affairs/veterans.html

[PP]

My apologies, I missed a zero. My keyboard screws up all the time. It's one of these cordless things.  It is 22 MILLION 700 Thousand living vets. Thanks for the correction. I'm glad somebody was paying attention. And yes, my holiday comes up in November with 22,700,000 other vets LOL Will

[akroyaleagle]

Nothing to be said, just read and pass on this incredible story. So important that we don't forget, and do truly remember who the real heroes are in this world. This one is special to me.

Joe Laird
24 year Vet
101st Airborne Vietnam 1966



"Shifty" By Chuck Yeager


Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy 

Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st 

Airborne Infantry.  If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the 

History Channel, you know Shifty.  His character appears in all 10 

episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.   


I met Shifty in the  Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't 

know who he was at the time.  I just saw an elderly gentleman having 

trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was 

at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle," the symbol of 

the 101st Airborne, on his hat.   

Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne 

or if his son was serving.  He said quietly that he had been in the 

101st.  I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, 

and how many jumps he made.   

Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, 

and was in until sometime in 1945 ..." at which point my heart 

skipped.


At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training 

jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into  Normandy . . .  do you know 

where Normandy is?"  At this point my heart stopped.

I told him "yes, I know exactly where  Normandy is, and I know what 

D-Day was."  At that point he said "I also made a second jump into 

Holland , into Arnhem ."  I was standing with a genuine war hero ...   

and then I realized that it was June,  just after the anniversary of 

D-Day.   

I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from  France, and he said 

"Yes...  And it 's real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are 

left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip."  My heart 

was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.



I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in 

coach while I was in First Class.  I sent the flight attendant back to 

get him and said that I wanted to switch seats.  When Shifty came 

forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have 

it, that I'd take his in coach.


He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat.  Just knowing that there are 

still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to 

make an old man very happy."  His eyes were filling up as he said it. 

And mine are brimming up now as I write this.



Shifty died on Jan. l7 after fighting cancer.


There was no parade.

No big event in Staples Center .

No wall-to-wall, back-to-back 24x7 news coverage.

No weeping fans on television.

And that's not right!


Let's give Shifty his own memorial service, online, in our own quiet way.

Please forward this to everyone you know.  Especially to the veterans.   

Rest in peace, Shifty.   

Chuck Yeager, Maj. General [ret.]


P.S.  I think that it is amazing how the "media" chooses our "heroes" these days...

actors, singers, athletes & the like!

[babell2]

I spent memorial day with my boy scout troop. We attended a service at a near by town in a cemetery that had hero's from every war from civil to world war two. Each grave marked with either a confederate or us flag. Good work good remembrance and patriotic experience.

Brice