Thank You Veterans

[kellanrevere]

I know that there are a number of veterans, including my husband on this board. I would like to say thank you for your service. I will take extra time today reflexing on the wonderful opportunities we enjoy thanks to those who served to protect our great country.

 

God Bless and Keep those who are currently serving.

 

Kelly

[Lois R]

Hi Kelly....thanks for the post:) .....My Dad is from the WWII Generation......

 

They are having parades all over the country today.....Dianne....you and your family and son are in my thoughts.

 

I salute all of them!

[Cruiser Forever]

I will say an extra prayer today for all those you have fought to keep us save. God Bless You and Peace Be With You. My dad is a Korean War vet. :)

[Seaya39]

I also say thank you - I have a friend who has just completed training and is heading for Iraq in 2 weeks. My Dad was in the Navy during Korea.

 

Beth

[Cruisechik]

Yes, thanks to all of our servicemen. My DH and my father both served in the Navy, and now my nephew is stationed in Norfolk. (sounds like a Bermuda cruise is in order :) )

 

Kelly - one of my dear friends shares the name Kellan. You don't hear it very often. Great name!

[ertraumadr]

as a vet I was and still am proud asto have served my country not to come home from the war and then cry about it I asked what can I do for my country not cry

[debbie1008]

Excellent thread!

 

I thank the men and women of this country that have given their lives for our freedom. I also thank the men and women who are serving right now to keep us free and united!!!

 

[Texed]

And thanks back at you. As a vet, it means a lot that some people really are thankful.

[hdawson]

As a vet, I thank all of you for the kind thoughts. They were years that I wouldn't trade for anything.

[raudacruise]

Thanks folks. Both of us are vets. Served and married in Berlin before the Wall came down. We had the Badher-Meinhoff gang and Red Brigade to deal with. Of course the former Soviet Union could have just hung a POW sign around the city as well ;).

 

But it is nothing like what the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are facing. Our prayers to them. Heros all.

[cariboujerky]

Happy vets day from ALASKA. More vets per capata than any other state. Keep your stick on the ice. FRED & BETZ Naknek alaska

[Shari2]

Thanks to all veterans, including my husband, a Navy-air man, my dad who served in the Korean war, my brother and brother-in-law who were in Vietnam! God Bless you all!!!!

[tawcat]

from a 24 year army infantry first sergeant retired vet, not only do i thank those that took time to acknowledge this day, but to those that are now serving. one must always remember "someone sacrificed their tomorrow so we could have our today." i salute you all.

[brigittetom]

Thanks folks. Both of us are vets. Served and married in Berlin before the Wall came down. We had the Badher-Meinhoff gang and Red Brigade to deal with. Of course the former Soviet Union could have just hung a POW sign around the city as well ;).

 

But it is nothing like what the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are facing. Our prayers to them. Heros all.

 

I think all who serve are facing the same and deserve the same gratitude. :) And you all have it.

[Cruise Arizona]

I can add to this thread by encourging all of you that are retired or those of you that are stay-at-home Moms like me to try to be a part of the volunteer team at you local VA Hospital.

 

I currently volunteer as an escort (no not that kind of escort) a the Southern Arizona Veteran's Health Care System in Tucson. I take patients in wheel chairs and litters to from one part of the Hospital to the other. But there are many other positions available. Some have patient contact, others do not.

 

This is a wonderful opportunity to give something (all be it small) back to the men and women who risked everything to preserve our freedom.

 

My life has been so enriched since I started doing this. I have met men in thier late 80's and 90's who are WWII Vets who tell me about their experiences. It is like a living history museum sometimes.

 

Contact your local VA Hospital and ask for the Voluntary Services Office. They will let you volunteer as little or as much as you can. I have met several other volunteers there who also love to cruise.

[teedee]

I know that there are a number of veterans, including my husband on this board. I would like to say thank you for your service. I will take extra time today reflexing on the wonderful opportunities we enjoy thanks to those who served to protect our great country.

 

God Bless and Keep those who are currently serving.

 

Kelly

 

Hi Kelly - Good to see you on the boards, haven't heard from you in awhile. I totally agree with your comment, I'm glad you started this thread.

Terri

[carolynsd]

Thank you Kelly for posting the Thank You. I want to say THANK YOU to all our vets. You are in my prayers and thoughts every day, I am thankful for the freedom we have in America. It would not have been possible without the sacrifice and dedication of our military. God bless and protect every one of you.

 

Carolyn

[newmexicoNita]

I too have nothing but praise for all our service men and women: my dad was a retored Navy commander who served in WWll, my brother in law also retired as well as all my uncles were in WWll. Our son was in Desert Storm. It's these men and women who have fought to keep our coutry free so we can speak our minds on these boards, in church or anywhere. My prayers, everyday go out to all who are in Iraq and their families. Here in NM we have several bases considering how small our state is (population wise) and we have many, many friends who are retired military. Everytime we hear a patriotic song today we need to reflect on what our country really means to us. NMNita

[benjamins]

It's fine to thank veterans but why on the 4th of July? I thought today was about independence and the official birth of the nation.

[newmexicoNita]

It's fine to thank veterans but why on the 4th of July? I thought today was about independence and the official birth of the nation.

Of course it is, but our nation was founded on freedoms and our veterans have fought so we can keep our freedoms. To me almost every holiday and every other day is a time to thank our Vets.........NMNita

[patrioticgirl]

Benjamins, it's those vets and those currently serving in the military who continue represent and fight for the democratic principals spawned in the birth of our nation and our independent status. The people of our nation are very blessed with the rights of a democracy, and it seems very fitting to be especially thankful for those men and women who serve our military on the day of the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

 

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Burnt House Field on the 4th of July, the gravesite of Richard Henry Lee, one of the VA patriots who paved the road for America's independence and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It's a tiny little family gravesite in Westmoreland, Virginia, located down a deserted dirt road on the site of the original family home that was burned, supposedly by convicts, before the massive Lee family estate Stratford Hall was built ten or so miles away. In the dusk of the evening, it was quite touching to see a solitary long stem red rose on the grave of this famous American. At the time, I said a silent prayer for the rights and freedoms that I have each day of my life here in America, for I remember my grandfather telling stories as I grew up that demonstrated inequality and injustice in his life.

 

Each 4th of July since then, I have thought of how lonely this gravesite seemed, and equated it to how it the struggle toward democracy is often a lonely road for many in the world. I have also thought about how it is often a lonely struggle for those serving in our military services in foreign lands to be away on holidays whilst those of us at home spend loving time with family and friends picnicking, watching fireworks, and making memories. These are memories that are sacrificed by those who serve out our country out of love, honor, and respect for all the American means to us. And that is why I offer a single red rose and a big thank you for all those men and women who have served our country in the past, present, and future struggles of freedom that are yet to come in the history of our great nation.

[Richard Stein]

As a Vietnam Veteran I am very pleased that we now appreciate what our service men do for us daily, something that did not occur in my day. Were it not for them we would not be able to cruise freely through out the world. Please remember that terrorist did take one cruise ship in the Med. years ago and killed some passengers they thought were Jewish. Our service men help prevent this from happening today by taking the fight to them. I for one am willing trade increased security screening for being safe while at sea. We all salute our service men on this fourth of July.

[newmexicoNita]

As a Vietnam Veteran I am very pleased that we now appreciate what our service men do for us daily, something that did not occur in my day. Were it not for them we would not be able to cruise freely through out the world. Please remember that terrorist did take one cruise ship in the Med. years ago and killed some passengers they thought were Jewish. Our service men help prevent this from happening today by taking the fight to them. I for one am willing trade increased security screening for being safe while at sea. We all salute our service men on this fourth of July.

Richard, you are to be commended for your service to our country. My brother also went to Nam> Never once did I doubt you or have I ever doubted any service person. It doesn't matter whether we all agree on things it is the devotion you have given to our country that allows us to cruise, to put in our 2 cents worth on cruise critic and other boards and to enjoy our freedoms. NMNIta

[Gimpster]

Hey, Richard....

 

Thanks for your service, and welcome home brother!

[davis0056]

Both my better half and I are retired vets, with each of us putting in over 20 years. I'm so glad to see the soldiers of today welcomed home with open arms. The viet nam vets were not. I remember being scorned in the airport when I was in unfiorm in the early 70's. Please make a special remembrance to those that are coming home from this war seriously and forever injured. I work at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and we are always getting severely burned young men and woment who will carry their scars for everyone to see for the rest of their lives. Everyone of them wants to know if they can rejoin their unit back in Iraq when they recover.

 

Dave and Elaine (Ret US Army)