Thank You For Your Service

Thank you for your service to all who served in our nation's armed forces or who are currently doing so.

My father was six years old on Armistice Day in 1918. He was the most ardent patriot I ever knew...

-s.

http://villagegreennj.com/towns/maplewood/maplewood-honors-vets-11-1111-town-hall-ceremony/

My dad served in WWII.  He was stationed in England in a postal unit at age 20.  Letters to and from home were reduced in size to cut down on bulk. (V-mail - Victory Mail, see link).  Though not in combat, there was danger from German bombings.  He felt very lucky to be alive.  In one instance, his group changed location and the next day that old location was bombed.

Although he was a Brooklyn boy, his team was the St. Louis Cardinals.  As a young boy, he was captivated by the "gas house gang."  When the world series between Tigers and Cubs took place in 1945, there was a broadcast set up outside the barracks.  Although it was pouring rain, he was the only one outside listening.  That's how homesick he was.  He sent a letter to Cardinals manager Billy Southworth about the Cardinals team and got a very nice letter back from him which I have framed.

In 1962, my dad became a Mets fan as did my whole family.  Except when Stan the Man came to town with the Cardinals...he would root for Stan.  He lost interest in baseball after the 1994 players strike, disgusted that they shut down the season over $$$.  But he would check the score every day to see if the Mets won.

http://postalmuseum.si.edu/VictoryMail/

Your post made my day, mlj. Thank you.

thank you dave schmidt... seems like baseball was a constant in times of great distress.

Both of my parents served in World War II in the Navy.  They never met until almost a decade later ... during a two-week summer reserve training duty session.

This is well worth reading, too:

http://villagegreennj.com/salon/dad-hero-vets-son-pays-tribute-fathers-unsung-bravery/

Lazydog:  Thank you for posting that link.  As you know, Bernie is one of the veterans shown in the pictures following the Village Green story.

Nice thread