There are some vets, a now dwindling few, who still deserve a thanks: the vets of WWII. Years ago, I was sitting on a bus and, across from me, was an old guy wearing a VFW hat emblazoned with his WWII service; he was quite old and seemed a bit forlorn and lonely; my mind went to the people who were thanking the current vets (Gulf War and later) when there were guys like that old man withering away and fading away who had actually served in a conflict that had real worldwide consequences; on impulse, I spoke to him, excusing myself, and asked about his service; he was a bit taken aback, almost fearful of a stranger approaching him in that way, but he soon realized I meant no harm, I listened to him recount his service and, when he ended, I extended my hand, and thanked him for his service; the look of appreciation on his face was enough to almost drive me to tears; after that, I made a pint of particularly thanking any WWII vet I encountered in my activities; some of the have been a bit scared at first, being approached by a stranger, and some have been puzzled by the gesture, but all have expressed a certain joy and satisfaction at not being just ignored and forgotten; in the many years since that first encounter, the opportunities to thank a WWII vet personally have sadly decreased as time and age are depleting their rank; the last one was a couple of years ago or so I saw was at a bus stop in Hollywood, a dignified old gent who gave me the biggest smile I had seen in quite some time when I shook his hand...
If you get the chance to thank one of those old vets, I would suggest you take the opportunity; so many of them are fading away and they do really deserve being given one last appreciation of their sacrifices...
<O>
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