An Emotional weekend

Memorial day always brings so many thankful thoughts, prayers for those who serve and still so many memories from my own family.

Dad was in the Cavalry in WW1, the Philippine invasion..  wasn't given any kind of benefits because
they didn't get word the war was over before the battle.  It wasn't considered a part of the war, though they risked their lives fighting for OUR freedom.  So sad when it took so long to get info
to the divisions and they got  no benefits because of delay of message.

Two brothers were in WW2, one was wounded by a Japanese bullet to the knee,, and the other didn't go overseas at all.  He lied about his age, and the other was only 16.  He wasn't caught, but the brother state side was.   They didn't have to prove things back then, and they also had the draft.
That might be why he didn't get shipped over, because of his age... only 15.  I had 4 brothers.

The brother that was youngest of the boys, and next older from me, was in the Navy during the Korean war.. he was so critical because all they did was shoot a few bullets, turn and run.  He is the one in the family that always found something wrong that wasn't his doing.. till the day he died.  I don't remember him ever saying something nice to me.. never,  even until the day he died in 1999.

Our daughter was in the Air Force for 9 years.  She was a heavy equipment mechanic.  She loved it.

Our Son-in- law was also in the navy, and was on the Enterprise,  down in the nuke center.  He was committed to serve for 6 years and was mighty glad when he got out.

Dear Hubby was a lifer having served 22 years 2 months and 21 days.  lol, he certainly kept count. He was in during the Cuban Invasion, stood by for the Falkland Island war, the Vietnam War, flying cargo in and people in and out, mostly in the Asian area.  He was a flight engineer.. he kept the first plane the 124 also known as "Old Shaky" in the air and the  pilot steered.  The second I think was the 121 flying reconnaissance out of Bankok and over Vietnam, both of them being recips meaning propeller rigs, before  jets.  The last plane he was on was a jet,  it was the C 141, transporting troops, cargo and the refugees.  The 141  was supposed to make the trips a lot shorter.. it did in flight time, but they spent just as much time gone, waiting for cargo or people to bring back and forth.

On one flight he was stranded in Florance, Italy because of the huge flood they had that damaged so much of the older artists painting.  He was gone 21 days on that trip.

There have been a lot of military folks in my family, that I have nothing but good to say about them!!!  I have a picture of my Dad in his Uniform and one showing his unit marching into Bataan.

I don't think I have Pict's of any of them, in uniform, nor since they were full adults.

They should be heroes not only to me, but to everyone.  I pray they were not forgotten by others in the family.