Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 22:53:09 -0500
Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Subject: Re: Flowers for stones
In-Reply-To: <9f4608e90805261142u6e13d2fakf7ddee906c8f128d@mail.gmail.co m>
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Our next door neighbor was looking for some volunteers today as the
tornadoes of last night in NE Iowa had disheveled many vets grave
markers and she needed help rearranging them. I wish we'd been
available to help.
My dad was a WWII vet, but he totally supported my efforts to avoid
Nam. Turned out I got lucky with the draft in 69. My number was
smack dab in the middle at 183, they took bodies up to 125 in Ames
Ia, and pre-induction physicals to 175.. Although an avid VW kid
from 1967 to present, I didn't own my first bus for another couple of
years. Dad's government marker hangs in my workshop proudly.
I'm still waiting for a war in my lifetime in which it will be worth
laying my life down for our freedom; even if I'm getting a little old
to be doing active military..
Back to working on the Vanagon, but I haven't forgotten those that
have served and are serving our country.
DM&FS
At 01:42 PM 5/26/2008, Al Knoll wrote:
>Here's something that might make your Memorial Day a little more memorable.
>
>Buy a dozen or so red carnations. Get that old 6 inch screwdriver
>out of the toolbox. Fire up that 20 year old Vanagon and drive to
>your nearest National Cemetary. You can find the locations on the
>web. If you have never visited a National Cemetery before, it will
>likely be a humbling, emotional experience so you should be prepared.
>
>Make it a family event if you like, tell the kids or the grandkids
>that you're taking the vanagon to a special place before the usual
>family festivities. Tell them that they are the flower children, and
>you will be looking for special stones.
>
>At the cemetary will find row on row of solemn white stones. Each
>will have the name of the veteran or veteran's family member on it.
>You are looking for the special stones, those whose inscriptions
>indicate that the veteran was killed in combat. At most cemetaries
>each grave will have a small flag and many of these fallen combat
>soldiers will have flowers at their graves. Pass reverently by those
>graves, you are looking for a combat veteran whose grave has no
>flowers. At each of these you can use the screwdriver to make a
>small hole in the grass and place one of those hardy carnations in
>the the sod. Think for a moment about this particular fallen soldier
>and remind yourself that you, a stranger, remembered them on this
>memorial day. You will run out of flowers before you run out of
>stones.
>
>Before you leave, explain to your family what these veterans did and
>why the freedoms you enjoy today were paid for by the strangers
>beneath the stones.
>
>Should anyone ask, " Where have all your flowers gone?" you can reply
>"gone to the graveyard every one".
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