Veterans Day 2013

NDFan4Life

Forum Regular
Messages
1,967
Reaction score
254
Unselfishly, you left you fathers and your mothers,
You left behind your sisters and your brothers.
Leaving your beloved children and wives,
You put on hold, your dreams—your lives.

On foreign soil, you found yourself planted
To fight for those whose freedom you granted.
Without your sacrifice, their cause would be lost
But you carried onward, no matter the cost.

Many horrors you had endured and seen.
Many faces had haunted your dreams.
You cheered as your enemies littered the ground;
You cried as your brothers fell all around.

When it was over, you all came back home,
Some were left with memories to face all alone;
Some found themselves in the company of friends
As their crosses cast shadows across the land.

Those who survived were forever scarred
Emotionally, physically, permanently marred.
Those who did not now sleep eternally
‘Neath the ground they had given their lives to keep free.

With a hand upon my heart, I feel
The pride and respect; my reverence is revealed
In the tears that now stream down my upturned face
As our flag waves above you, in her glory and grace.


IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
Freedom was the gift that you unselfishly gave
Pain and death was the price that you ultimately paid.
Every day, I give my utmost admiration
To those who had fought to defend our nation
 
M

Me2SouthBend

Guest
Thank you vets and Reps to NDFan4Life for starting the thread.
 

Irish#1

Livin' Your Dream!
Staff member
Messages
44,583
Reaction score
20,035
My father in law is 94 years old and is suffering from dementia. We finally had to put him in a nursing home about five weeks ago. He served at Normandy and fought in France, Italy and Germany. I had to give a "Toast" speech in class in October. I chose to toast my father in law. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I had in writing and giving it.

Bob Biggs
Let me ask you a question. Would you consider someone who was at Normandy and fought in Germany, Italy and France during WWII a real American hero? How about someone who put his life on the line many times in public service as a fireman? I certainly do. Tonight we’re here to toast my father in law Bob Biggs, a WWII veteran and a retired Lieutenant from the IFD.

Bob always found time to attend all five of his grandkids activities whether it be softball, little league, basketball, wrestling or football. As they grew, he was always at their high school football games and wrestling matches cheering them on. Regardless of whether they were in grade school or high school, it was a little tradition of his to give them $2 after the game. Win or lose, he’d tell them it was their pay for a job well done. I remember the time when he missed a wrestling match against Warren Central. He missed it because he was in the hospital after suffering a heart attack earlier that day. When we went back to visit him that evening the first thing he wanted to know was if Shawn had won his match. Always thinking about the grandkids and not about himself.

I still remember very clearly when that same son won the Marion County championship in wrestling. Bob knew that the only thing harder than winning the Marion County championship was winning the state title. Bob and I are sitting in the stands at Perry Meridian watching Shawn compete. As the clock ticked down and as soon as my sons hand was raised in victory, Bob looked at me and said, “I’ll bet your happy now”. I could tell by the look in his eyes and the smile on his face, that he was probably happier and even more proud than I was.

But being at the sports activities wasn’t his only involvement with his grandkids. Raising five kids was expensive and he knew it. Occasionally without ever asking, he’d call to say he’s coming over to take the boys to get new shoes or a haircut. He was always doing things little like that. Now that his grandkids kids of their own, he opened investment accounts for all eight of his great-grandkids because he knows it’s still expensive to raise a family.

Bob spent 30 years in public service as an Indianapolis firefighter, retiring as a lieutenant in 1981. When the kids were younger, he’d take them to the fire station to show them the fire trucks. He knew kids love that type of stuff, but I think he might have also done it because he wanted to brag a little to his fellow firemen about his grandkids. He would also take them to functions like the fireman’s Christmas parties and Easter egg hunts.

Before all of this though, Bob served our country as a staff sergeant in the Army having fought in France, Italy and Germany during WWII. He never talks about his time in the military, because he doesn’t consider himself a hero and his generation (commonly referred to as the greatest generation) wasn’t into self-promotion. He did it because he knew it had to be done. He and his fellow soldiers did it so you who are here today can make your own choices whether it be to attend college, buy a car of your choice and basically live your life without a Nazi or communist government telling you how to live it.

He’ll be 94 years young this coming Saturday. Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses and drink a toast to my father in law Bob Biggs a real American hero.
 

irishpat183

Banned
Messages
5,625
Reaction score
504
Thank you to those that have served.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
-- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
 

frankygoes69

New member
Messages
658
Reaction score
22
Thank you and God Bless to all who have served and are currently serving! And to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We will never forget!

N.S.D.Q!
Go Irish!
 

ndcoltsfan2010

Well-known member
Messages
2,642
Reaction score
134
Thank you to all my fellow veterans and brothers and sisters in arms. Let us remember and never forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we have the freedom that we all share today.

De Oppresso Liber!
US Army
1992-2012
 

gkIrish

Greek God
Messages
13,184
Reaction score
1,004
Thanks to all the vets on this board and across the country!
 

palinurus

New member
Messages
2,406
Reaction score
192
Thanks for this thread. I recently came across this in "To Hell and Back" the autobiography of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in American history, as I understand it.

“We roll over the wall and find ourselves in the range of two enemy strongpoints. But for the moment, the krauts are ignoring us. They are absorbed in trying to split the two groups of men that preceded us.

"A sergeant in the first platoon senses the predicament. If his men are isolated, they will likely be destroyed. He makes his decision quickly. Motioning his men to follow, he rises and with a submachine gun charges head-on toward one of the enemy positions two hundred yards away.

"On the flat, coverless terrain, his body is a perfect target. A blast of automatic fire knocks him down. He springs to his feet with a bleeding shoulder and continues his charge. The guns rattle. Again he goes down.

"Fascinated, we watch as he gets up for the third time and dashes straight into the enemy fire. The Germans throw everything they have at him. He falls to the earth; and when he again pulls himself to his feet, we see that his right arm is shattered. But wedging his gun under his left armpit, he continues firing and staggers forward. Ten horrified Germans throw down their guns and yell “Kamerad.”

"That is all I see. But later I learn that the sergeant, ignoring the pleas of his men to get under cover and wait for medical attention, charged the second enemy strongpoint. By sheer guts, he advanced sixty yards before being stopped by a final concentration of enemy fire. He reeled, then tottered forward another few yards before falling.

"Inspired by his valor and half-insane with rage, his men took over, stormed the kraut emplacement, and captured it. When they returned to their leader, he was dead.

"This was how Lutsky, the sergeant, helped buy the freedom that we cherish and abuse.”




The soldier he calls "Lutsky" was actually Sylvester Antolak, posthumous Medal of Honor winner, St. Clairsville, Ohio.
 

Irish#1

Livin' Your Dream!
Staff member
Messages
44,583
Reaction score
20,035
Thanks for this thread. I recently came across this in "To Hell and Back" the autobiography of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in American history, as I understand it.

“We roll over the wall and find ourselves in the range of two enemy strongpoints. But for the moment, the krauts are ignoring us. They are absorbed in trying to split the two groups of men that preceded us.

"A sergeant in the first platoon senses the predicament. If his men are isolated, they will likely be destroyed. He makes his decision quickly. Motioning his men to follow, he rises and with a submachine gun charges head-on toward one of the enemy positions two hundred yards away.

"On the flat, coverless terrain, his body is a perfect target. A blast of automatic fire knocks him down. He springs to his feet with a bleeding shoulder and continues his charge. The guns rattle. Again he goes down.

"Fascinated, we watch as he gets up for the third time and dashes straight into the enemy fire. The Germans throw everything they have at him. He falls to the earth; and when he again pulls himself to his feet, we see that his right arm is shattered. But wedging his gun under his left armpit, he continues firing and staggers forward. Ten horrified Germans throw down their guns and yell “Kamerad.”

"That is all I see. But later I learn that the sergeant, ignoring the pleas of his men to get under cover and wait for medical attention, charged the second enemy strongpoint. By sheer guts, he advanced sixty yards before being stopped by a final concentration of enemy fire. He reeled, then tottered forward another few yards before falling.

"Inspired by his valor and half-insane with rage, his men took over, stormed the kraut emplacement, and captured it. When they returned to their leader, he was dead.

"This was how Lutsky, the sergeant, helped buy the freedom that we cherish and abuse.”




The soldier he calls "Lutsky" was actually Sylvester Antolak, posthumous Medal of Honor winner, St. Clairsville, Ohio.


So many stories where our hero's gave up their lives knowing they would never see or love their families again. God bless all of our soldiers past and present.
 

phgreek

New member
Messages
6,956
Reaction score
433
Thank You to all who've served.

May we endeavor to conduct ourselves to honor that service...and to take care of what that service has provided here...
 

TheItalian

New member
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
A little late but never forgotten... thank you to those that have served to provide us with the freedom to post these messages.
 
Top