A former veteran shares his feelings about Veterans' Day.
His spelling isn't that good, so please bear with him. He writes like he talks.
I can imagine de t'ings peoples be t'inkin' when dey firs' see me. Aww, he's jus' a crippled ol' man; but I am more than "a crippled ol' man". I happen ta' be a veteran; I was in de service, in de Air Corps, durin' th' forties; an' even though I was in for only two year', me, I still serve ma' country, an' I still do ma' time.
I was gonna' fight in de war, but ma' feets, dey was too flats, so de Air Corps fellas, dey kick me out; an' I go back home to Lou'siana, where I den starts a family, me.
But each an' every time I see de flag, ma' heart, she git a feelin' a' pride an' happiness, 'cause I tried to go into war defendin' dat flag, an' I still love dat flag today, me. I also tried to defend ma' country from bad peoples; an' I did ma' t'ing in de service. (I worked on airplanes, me, but de walkin' got ta' be ta' much for ma' po' feets, so I hadda' leave, me. I still liked my time in de service, but I sure hated dat mean ol' bastard dey called de T.I.; WHOO, he was meaner'n MEAN! He scared me, hell, yeah! But once I got outta' basic an' got away from de T.I., den all was hunky-dory wit' me, an' ma' life in de service was much happier--until I got kicked out, dat is!)
Now, I too old ta' go back in service, but if I could, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Anyt'ing ta' defend our country from de bad terrorists an' all dat stuff. When September 11, 2001, happen, all I could do was shake ma' head an' cry fo' de fallen heroes, an' also de peoples who died in de collapse a' de Twin Towers an' on de planes; an' also de peoples who die in de Pentagon. I still don' know why peoples over dere hate America so much; dey gotta' be mixed up somewheres! It really make me mad dat dey have no regards for human life; an' it still make me mad now 'cause if dey didn't do dat, den de towers, dey'd still be standin', an' all dose peoples who die in de terrorist attack would still be alive now.
I don't want ta' say what I would do to dose terrorists, but it would NOT be nice, dat is fo' DAMN sure!
ANYWAY...as I said early on, me, I no longer able to go into de service; but I still remember de vets who die in wars, an' I remember de vets in hospitals an' nursin' homes; an' I still pay ma' last respects ta' dose vets who die. I go to de parade each year, me, an' I still put flowers on de graves a' ma' vet buddies when we go ta' de graveyard, me. I still salutes Ol' Glory, an' I still cry when dey play de National Anthem or any patriotic song, really.
I now get vet pension from V.A., an' I am a member a' Disabled American Vets; I go ta' de meetings ev'ry month at de V.F.W. I no longer can wear my uniform I have in de service, but I still have it; I have it in a suitcase I keep under ma' bed in ma' bedroom, an' nobody can git into it but ME. (I have de key on me at ALL times!) I also have all ma' military pics a' ma' buddies, an' I sometimes wonder if de ones who still alive even remember me or know what happen ta' me.
I go ta' de Vet's Day parade dey have here in town, an' I ride in de truck in de parade; can't walk all de way on de parade route on 'count a' ma' bein' on ma' crutches or hurtin' all de time, me. I also have heart trouble; even had ma' heart operated on las' year, an' it took me a long time ta' get over dat. (Still feel a bit weak from de surgery, me.) I salutes all de vets at de parade, an' I cry when dey play de patriotic stuff or when dey play "Taps" an' den fire de guns, to honor de vets who die in wars. Afterwards, we den go to de V.F.W., where we eat an' remember ol' times; an' sometimes a whole group a' us will go ta' de Golden Corral, which gives out free dinners ta' vets on Vets Day. It makes for a very busy time at de eatin' place; but still, it IS fun ta' go out an' see all ma' cronies again! (An' it nice dat de Golden Corrals give us vets free food; I like dat...FREE food! De more food for dis hongry Cajun man, de BETTER! LOL)
Vets Day means so much ta' me, as ya' can see. I t'ink we ALL should remember our vets, an' by dat, I mean EVERYONE. So many time, de vets, dey forgotten, an' nobody visit de ones in homes or hospitals; it is sad how we treat 'em. Dey gave dey lives fo' our nation; we should be kissin' dey ASSES for all de great sacrifices dey made, so Americans an' AMERICA could be FREE! Yet we treat our vets like yesterday's garbage or unwanted animals, an' it make me sick inside. It is a SHAME how we treat our vets; we need ta' treat our vets like WE would want ta' be treated! An' what's mo'...we should be providin' for 'em...healthcare, food, WHATEVER dey need! It be only fair, ya' know??
So, as a vet, let me say dis..if dat were YOUR grandpaw, YOUR oncle, YOUR daddy, YOUR son, or YOUR grandson lyin' dere, hurt or dyin', in some V.A. hospital or home, wouldn't YOU want dem to get de best care possible or have someone remember DEM on VETS' DAY??
T'ink about it, an' den reflect on what de vets have done fo' America and US. T'ink about de REAL reason behind why we have a day like Vet's Day! Den get back ta' me.
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I can imagine de t'ings peoples be t'inkin' when dey firs' see me. Aww, he's jus' a crippled ol' man; but I am more than "a crippled ol' man". I happen ta' be a veteran; I was in de service, in de Air Corps, durin' th' forties; an' even though I was in for only two year', me, I still serve ma' country, an' I still do ma' time.
