Please take a few moments from your busy day to pause, reflect, and thank those who have served and are serving our country. Although this page is dedicated to veterans of our Armed Services, almost every American family, many without donning a uniform, has contributed to the preservation of the ideals of the United States of America. "Rosie the Riveter" serves as a symbol of all those who stayed behind during World War II. Mom may have helped at the Red Cross or USO, and rolled bandages at home. School girls and boys knit scarves, socks, and mittens for the men on the front, and collected milkweed pods for life jacket fill. From the American Revolution to today's War on Terrorism, many are the untold stories and many are the unsung heroes.
Welcome to my Tribute to the Armed Forces. This page is dedicated to all past, present and future veterans regardless of their branch of service. Throughout my Army career I’ve had the honor of serving with the finest and bravest men and women of the United States armed forces.
To many, the camaraderie and brotherhood experienced within the armed forces is one which not generally felt within the civilian community with the exception of the law enforcement, fire department and first responder departments.
Our great nation, set aside November 11 as the official day to pay tribute to its nations veterans. This one day set aside each year focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: In recent years, it is my opinion; we have lost the original intention of Veterans Day. Originally, Veterans Day was a day full of celebrations, picnics in the park, and parades down Main Street honoring our veterans for their patriotism, their bravely, love of country, and their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good of our nation.
Today Veterans Day seems to be a day for long political speeches, a short parade and maybe, just maybe, a short newspaper article stuck back in an obscure section of the local newspaper. And if there is time there is the dedicated local news professional who tries to fit in a story on local Veterans Day activities but the story is cut short as the newscast switches to a commercial break.
As a retired, US Army professional, I have a new mission which I accept with pride and the intensity as I accepted all my missions when I was on active duty. My new mission is to personally make everyday Veterans Day. I realize, at age 62, commonsense tells me the current status of Veterans Day will never change, however, I can personally acknowledge to every person I meet the importance of recognizing veteran for their service and their contributions to keeping America free. What we, as American parents have forgotten is educating our youth on the importance of patriotism, our flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, and other common core values many of us grew up with. We need to return to these core values.
As an example; my grand children (I have seven), ages 16 through 3 years) are very patriotic). Each of them with the exception of the 2 year old telephones me on holidays celebrating veterans thanking me for my service. This is done in part because they see photos of me in uniform and military memorabilia on the walls in my den. The real reason is the teachings of their parents and the school they attend. Their school, a Christian school, still says the Pledge of Allegiance, have daily prayer and teach the students old fashioned values.
Another example, I have two neighbors, both boys age 8 (twins), public school students, who also identify me as a veteran, always thank me and others who served their country. Their parents and other like them take on the responsibility of teaching their children what public schools often fail to teach - common family core values.
I have, within my community of several school age children of various ages, conducted a Jay Leno’s Man on the Street survey asking them if they could recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Out of fourteen children I asked one was able to recite the pledge without difficulty, two were able to recite with assistance, the remainder is another story.
I cannot place blame on these children nor can I completely place blame on the public school system; educating our children starts within the family and continues within the family until that child leaves home.
No matter where you go in this great nation of ours, it is the responsibility of every American to show their support to every veteran. This is because heroism is universally accepted as a selfless virtue and every veteran no matter how decorated, or what their rank or what their job is a hero. It does not matter if they served within a combat zone of served at a lush assignment somewhere this veteran was still available for world-wide assignment.
Whether we are republicans, democrats or independents, liberals or conservatives, Veterans Day is not about war, but about the soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen who carry my flag into battle regardless of their feelings or reservations. It is about honoring their selfless bravery in the face of my enemies. It is for this reason that this page is dedicated; to my veteran brothers and sisters, regardless of their branches of service, their military occupational specialties, or their units of assignments you are members of a special brotherhood, a special fraternity, one that requires a membership by invitation only; you are a United States of America Armed Forces Veteran.
As you read my website I hope you are inspired to thank all veterans for their service. You will be amazed what those few words can mean to a veteran. If you have any questions or comments please email me.
My Personal Tributes
This section is dedicated to a group of veterans that have special meaning in my life. To those still living, Thanks for your service, to those that have passed on - you will never be forgotten.
My Wife, Lois
My wife, Lois, is the epitome of a military spouse, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She should be the scale by which all wives and military spouses and grandmothers are graded. Throughout my military career and particularly my military career as a senior leader Lois was called upon on innumerable occasions to render assistance to other military spouses and sometimes female soldiers in the form of guidance, parental counseling, general counseling or just a shoulder to vent their cares or frustrations which Lois did without hesitation.
Additionally, Lois took away from her family holiday celebrations because she and my daughters felt there was a need, while over seas in Germany and Okinawa and made sure that the single and married unaccompanied soldiers that were assigned to me enjoyed a home-cooked Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinner with all the trimmings. This unselfish devotion as her role as a military spouse is even felt today as we meet some of these soldiers in passing who remember her kindness twenty-plus years later. Lastly, Lois was a major factor behind my long and successful military career. Thanks Sweetheart and thank you for what you what you continue to do in support of veterans! Mission Accomplished!
Kelly Kari
These two beautiful young ladies, my daughters, Kelly and Kari, also shared in in making making my making my military career a successful and enjoyable. They, with their mother sacfariced more than what most civilian children normally have to sacfiice in a lifetime. (Long separations form their father, changing schools several times when I was reassigned overseas or within the US, having to make new friends, learning a new language to communicate with foreign nationals, learning to use host country transportation (trains, buses, taxis), and being away from friends and relatives).
Kelly and Kari also played an important role in ensuring that the holiday seasons werespecial times for the single and unaccompanied married soldiers who worked for me while overseas by helping their mother prepare the meals and decoration. Kelly and Kari also made sure that these soldiers (some of them combat hardened men) men and women knew expeienced firsthand the fine art of playing” Barbi Dolls” having a “Tea Party” and playing children’s board and card games. These experiences these soldiers had on these holidays with you very special! Thank you! I love you and thank you for what you did and what you continue to do in support of veterans!
My Personal Tributes To Special Veterans
John Savage Robert M Savage Mark D Savage Winston L Anderson
Father Grandfather Brother Uncle
US Navy US Army US Army US Army
WWII & Korean War Spanish American War Italy & US WWII
Pacific Theater Philippine Insurrection European Theater
Bill Anderson Winston Anderson,Jr Eddie Anderson Bill R Borton
Uncle Cousin Cousin Brother-in-Law
US Navy US Army US Army US Army
WWII Alabama Germany & US Korea & US
Pacific Theater National Guard
Larry Beardmore
Brother-in-Law
US Army
Vietnam
Viewer Submitted Tributes
This section is dedicated to viewers of this website who wish to recognize a veteran who has special meaning to them. To do this email me and I will respond with an email with the information I require for inclusion onto this section.
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