Stand Up, Citizens....America Is Passing

This morning's Veteran's Day program at church stirred memories in me of my almost sixty years on this earth. Unfortunately memories are becoming one of the most valuable commodity we have left of our own.

Each branch of the service was recognized by their official hymn, as representatives of each group marched to the altar. Other veterans as well as their family members were asked to stand as their branch appeared. I stood for my father, the Air Corps vet and my husband stood for the Army, his dad's arena. As I surveyed the congregation, I saw that many of the elder members were removing glasses and wiping eyes, unashamedly. Tears gathered in mine and my husband's also as we felt the wellspring of emotion sweeping over the church. Of course, many stood for Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf and the Middle East, but it was those older grizzled heads, gripping canes and squinting through poor eyesight that touched the deepest.

That's when it hit me.

These older veterans were "The Greatest Generation", and great doesn't even begin to describe it. They out-toughed the Great Depression, and just as things began to stabilize they were enlisted or drafted to cross oceans and fight their way through foreign cities and countrysides. It took almost 4 years and millions of lives from people who had already fought their way to adulthood, eking out survival during lean years. They were supported by the women who took care of hearth, home, Victory gardens, and factory work in the absence of their men. They cheerfully did without, rationed, rallied, prayed and kept those home fires burning and wore their sacrifices as badges of honor, not unlike the servicemen.

And what was their gift? The America that we baby boomers grew up with. They handed us a victory from threat of oppression and a world made for opportunity.