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There are a million stories. Few of them read anymore by other than families and comrades of the fallen.
This morning one caught my eye, about a father, shot down over Germany and imprisoned for two years in a WWII Stalag camp -- who then searched over 30 years for his own son, an air crewman shot down over Laos in '71.
The story grabbed me. I enlisted at 17 and volunteered for air duty after being partly raised by an uncle who had also been shot down over Germany where he spent a year and a half in a Stalag before surviving the death march at the end of that war.
25 years after my uncle went down, one of my three planes was lost over Cambodia, where my pilot remains un-recovered to this day ... my second plane then went down in the Gulf of Tonkin just offshore Vietnam, where my pilot remains un-recovered to this day.
I think of them and others we were able to bring out, some alive and some dead, pretty much daily -- not just once a year.
Hope the sales are good at the mall today and the toys bring happiness to those taking their prizes home.
All I can do is thank all whom have served, are serving and all those who are and have been supportive of them. Early this morning I lowered our flag to half-staff where it will remain until noon when I raise it again. The flag flies 24/7 (lit at night) as a constant reminder of those whom we've lost and those of us who are still here, for the time being at least. It's sobering to think that as the WW II and Korean War generation is fast disappearing, Nullgeo, Fontucky, Highnlite and I, and many others, are the next veteran generation to begin our decline. I like to think that we're the REAL 1%ers.
Thank you all for your service.
I am continually amazed that people like you VOLUNTEER to protect me and mine.
May God continue to bless you and yours and the United State of America.
Thank you again.
I am humbled.
Location: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
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I read in this AM's paper that 45% of Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan are or have applied for VA disability. The highest percentage from any of our conflicts.
I read in this AM's paper that 45% of Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan are or have applied for VA disability. The highest percentage from any of our conflicts.
Some of that may be due to the economy. Applications for disability are way up in general.. Previous generations of vets usually came back during periods of prosperity and low unemployment.
I read in this AM's paper that 45% of Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan are or have applied for VA disability. The highest percentage from any of our conflicts.
I think our era came in at about 22%. Of course, very few of us had 3-4 tours/deployments like today's forces. The fact that there are no jobs is also likely a factor as Cava pointed out.
In California, as of 2000 there were 2,569,340 veterans of US military service: 504,010 served in World War II, 301,034 in the Korean War, 754,682 during the Vietnam War, and 278,003 during 1990–2000 (including the Persian Gulf War).[78]
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