VETERANS DAY SALUTE

AFTER PERFORMING MY LUDDITE-LOVING DUTY OF RIDDING MY GUTTERS' DRAIN HOLES OF LEAVES, I FEEL IT MY CIVIC DUTY TODAY TO TAKE TIME OUT TO CRY. I LAUGHED YESTERDAY, BUT NOVEMBER 11, VETERANS DAY 2005, IS A DAY TO CRY. WOULD I, IF I HAD NOT LEFT MY BIG, BLUE, LIBERAL, DEMOCRATIC CITY BY THE LAKE, STILL FEEL PATRIOTIC PRIDE? OF COURSE I WOULD. HERE IN THIS, MY PERMANENT, COUNTRY HOME, I RADIO VOICE WELCOMED TO THE VETERANS DAY PARADE, A PARADE REMEMBERING AND THANKING THE VIET NAM VETS, 30 YEARS LATE. THEIRS WAS THE WAR THAT, BECAUSE OF MY BUSYNESS AND BUSINESS, I IGNORED. HERE IN MY RED, WHITE AND BLUE SMALL TOWN, THE COMMEMORATIVE PARADE WILL MARCH OFF TOMORROW. OUR LOCAL STATION SET THE TONE TODAY AS IT PLAYED A COUNTRY SONG WITH RED STATE SENTIMENTS. LINES INCLUDE, "I'M PROUD TO BE A FATHER... I'M TRUE COUNTRY TO THE CORE. I'M OUT HERE ON THE FRONT LINES ... I'M AN AMERICAN SOLDIER." REMEMBER THAT 'CORNY' TUNE?

HOW CAN I NOT REMEMBER TO CRY OVER THE LIVING AND THE DEAD WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY? MANY MEMOIRS AND MEMORIES OF WAR HAVE PASSED BEFORE MY EYES IN THE REVUES OF BOOKS. I REMEMBER TO CRY FOR SOLDIERS WITH FEET COLD AND BLEEDING AT VALLEY FORGE. THEY BOUGHT FOR US AMERICANS, OUR MIRACULOUS, REPUBLICAN EXPERIMENT. I REMEMBER TO CRY FOR THE SOLDIERS OF THE CIVIL SLAUGHTER BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE. WAS GLORY ON THE BATTLEFIELDS EVER SO BITTERSWEET? I REMEMBER TO CRY FOR THE SOLDIERS WITH FEET WET AND ROTTING, MARCHING AND FIGHTING IN THE TRENCHES OF WORLD WAR I, INCLUDING MY FATHER (WHO RETURNED HOME). I REMEMBER TO CRY FOR THE SOLDIERS - AND CIVILIANS - WHO PAID A TERRIBLE PRICE FOR VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II, VICTIMS OF HITLER, STALIN AND TOJO. I REMEMBER TO CRY FOR BOTH THE IMPRISONED AND TORTURED SOLDIERS AND THE DRUNKEN BUT CONFLICTED SOLDIERS IN VIET NAM. THE ACTIONS OF THE LATTER MIGHT PERPLEX ME, BUT THE THE SACRIFICES OF FORMER ASTOUND ME. I HARDLY REMEMBER GRANADA AND THE 1ST GULF WAR ( A REPLAY OF MY BUSYINESS AND BUSINESS) BUT I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL SOLDIERS WHO ANSWERED CALL. I REMEMBER TO CRY EVEN FOR THOSE WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN WARS WE WAGED UNJUSTLY - AGAINST THE NATIVE INDIANS AND THE MEXICANS, AGAINST SPAIN TO LIBERATE CUBA AND THE PHILLIPINES. MY TEARS ARE NOT JUDGMENTAL. I REMEMBER I CRIED SEEING LIVE, THE STATUE OF SADAAM HUSSEIN TORN DOWN IN BAGHDAD. THIS SYMBOLIC ACTION JUST REINFORCED MY PATRIOTIC PRIDE. LIKE THE KURDS IN IRAQ, I CRY, "THANK YOU AMERICA." THANK YOU, VETERANS. I REMEMBER TO CRY FOR THE DEAD, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM THERE COULD BE NO LAUGHTER TOMORROW.