Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:30:20 -0800
Reply-To: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Remembrance Day/Veteran's Day (NVC)
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimvp6b4h4Dnhkww3kdaQnDcgALAwWJOT3e5noYV@mail.gmail.com>
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Thanks Jake and welcome home to all the Veterans on our list.
From time to time I share the following with other veterans. It is OFF
TOPIC with no vanagon content.
Soldier in the rain.
It had been a long time since he'd heard that eagle scream.
It had rained hard at the river camp where he and others had spent the
night. In the drizzle before dawn, he wrapped his sleeping bag in the
plastic tarp and gathered his things. It was only a couple of miles to a
corner out of the rain near the park. He stumbled coming up the slippery
bank and as he picked himself, up the mud on his tattered clothes brought
back memories of mud in another place, now so far away. He wandered
through downtown, but at this early hour few noticed the bedraggled figure
with his bedroll and muddy clothes. The corner near the convention center
would be dry just across from the park and the sun would warm things up a
bit he thought as he crossed the trolley track. Memories of long ago were
powerful today as he thought of friends whose faces would never age like his
had over the years. His reflection in the glass door of the auditorium
embarrassed him and he stopped to try to straighten his hair and brush off
the mud. Just around the corner, he set down his bedroom and leaned back
up against the building. The parade would be by in a couple of hours and he
could warm up here while he waited. There was a little bit left in the
bottle and it felt good going down. As the commute traffic along the
street next to the capitol picked up for the morning, the sun peeked out
and illuminated his corner behind the hedge. He remembered last year when
he and his buddy had shared the corner. His friend had died that winter
from alcohol and abuse, this year he was alone. From inside the tattered
jacket he took three grimy medals and carefully pinned them on. The street
was quiet now, closed off for the parade. He sat in the corner and thought
how things had gone these past years when he couldn't hold a job and lost
his home. Dark images from the past had stolen his resolve and ambition
and pulled him down to where he was today. He could hear the parade music
as they turned onto the street a block or so away. Wiping away some inner
rain, he stood up and gently took an old green hat out of his bag. He
smoothed his tangled hair as best he could and put the beret on at just the
right angle. As he stepped from behind the hedge towards the street he
could see the flag bearers at the front as they marched toward him. The
sparse crowd at the curb moved aside as he approached. When the flag drew
close, he snapped to attention and held a razor sharp salute as it passed.
Sometimes all you have left is your pride and your memories. He'd made it
to one more Veterans Day.
The Veterans Administration estimates there are over 175,000 homeless
veterans in the land of the free this winter.
(c) Al Knoll 1999
On Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 12:33 PM, Jake de Villiers <
crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'd like to take a minute to thank the veterans on this list (and
> everywhere
> else) for their service in the causes of freedom and democracy.
>
> For sure, not all military conflicts are entered into for the right reasons
> but the men and women on the ground deserve all the support we can give
> them
> for the work that they have done and continue to do.
>
> Thank you all.
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>
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