Veteran's Day 2010

Once again, Veteran's Day has rolled around. In Connecticut, schools were closed and I would gather my daughter and walk down to the Monuments on Broad Street. Quite often, there was a parade which started at the school, wound around the block and finished at the monuments where a volley was fired in salute, wreaths were laid, speaches and prayers delivered. Here, there are no monuments (instead, Troy's Football Stadium was constructed as a memorial), school is in session, and I marched in no parade.

It doesn't mean I don't think about it. I like what President Woodrow Wilson said: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" I like that the original act to recognize what was then Armistice day said:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples. I am especially thankful to the infantry who I think always gets the bad end of the stick.

Later, an act was created to established the day as a day to promote World Peace. I rather like that too.

I don't like that another war followed and that we have had many more since. I thank Veteran's when I see them. My grandfather served in both World War II and World War II, my father and his twin in World War II (my uncle being killed at Okinawa), my nephew served, my husband's cousin, Domingo Ochotorena, while a naturalized citizen served in Gulf I and is currently retired. I thank my niece's boyfriend, Andrew Cole for serving in Iraq (Semper fi, guy) and I pray that all of those who are currently serving and those who have left the service find some rest from the horrors that they have seen, and adapt to the lives that they now lead.

My dad, now 88, has been sharing stories of the War. He didn't use to. I only used to hear him talk about it when he got together with our friend, Karl Simroth, who interestingly enough, served in the Hitler Youth, as all young men in Germany who were too young to fight did. It was interesting to hear both sides.

When I was out there in September, Dad spoke with my sister about Anzio, spurred by a book that he had recently read. Dad was in the 5th Army Corps of Engineers and went from North Africa, to Salerno, to Anzio and on up and at the end of the war was at Innsbruck, Austria.

Dad said that this particular book, wasn't entirely accurate. According to the author, the German's were "beaten back", but dad, who spent three weeks (not vacationing mind you) at Borgo Sabatino said that the Germans withdrew because of other pressures to the north.

It's funny what becomes indelible inscribed in memory. Dad noted the location on a map where a Pole and an Italian , fully armed and part of the service troops (probably ran the kitchen), surrendered to him along the road while other GI’s were asleep nearby…but not near their weapons. He noted that probably that was fortunate – if someone had opened fire there would have been an incident. The GI’s weapons were propped up against a nearby building. An English “chap” offered me a cup of tea in a tin cup. It was too hot to drink. It was the same morning, May 25, when the two prisoners surrendered to me. Isn't it odd? That snapshot of the Brit offering dad tea....It is also funny as dad drinks his coffee REALLY hot.

Dad also almost became a casualty from friendly fire....This story is a testament how rattled people can be when under stressful situations:

"I was shot at by friendly fire as I knelt down at this location. I was setting out a listening post in no man’s land and had told the people in the machine gun position that I was going (out to set up the listening post) and would return. They (the gunners) had tied tin cans to the telephone line and when I moved the line to see of the phone was operable the cans rattled. They hadn’t informed me about the cans. When they heard the cans rattle, they fired without identifying their target. I saw the tracers going over my back and if I had been standing…that would’ve been it. I took off running toward a barn and wondering what I was going to do. The company commander came into the barn. He asked me who they were shooting at and I said “me.” He asked me what I was going to do and I answered that I was thinking of going to the German line (as dad thought it would be safer....of course, he has the same weird sense of humor I do). He then asked where they were shooting and I said they were shooting high. He then went out into the open and to the strong point whereupon he reprimanded the shooters for shooting to high. Thanks a lot.

As I have been struggling with the pain from the cancer and the fatigue I have from the chemo, I keep on thinking of all the young men and women who will have long term pain, and those who will never turn their faces to the sun again. While I don't think that I have lived long enough at age 50, to look back at their lives cut short in half the time, I often feel like I don't have anything to complain about. I just wish that somehow human nature would finally get it right and see no point to having war at all. Of course, that's merely a dream.

Purple hearts and 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

Veteran's day....formerly known as Armistice Day for World War I, the war which supposedly was to end all wars....Today as I went through my day, I noticed all of the veterans on the street. A Vietnam War Vet, a World War II vet who survived Pearl Harbor and people presently serving here. I know I probably saw a lot more who were veterans from the Korean Conflict and Gulf War I.

I am grateful to all those who serve, although I was stunned to hear an officer at Fort Hood say that the folks who were going to Afghanistan were going to protect the American Constitution......I don't believe that, especially since the original reason to go to Afghanistan was to rout the Taliban and to go after Osama bin Ladin. Nevertheless, I support the troops who are presently serving in the near east. You can support the troops even if you can't support the war.

My own family has a pretty strong military presence. My grandfather served in both World War I and in World War II. My father and his twin served in World War II. My nephew served in Germany in the 1980s, and my husband's cousin, even though he was Cuban, served in the Air force in Gulf I and is still in the service.

The purple heart you see in the top photograph is the one awarded to my uncle David, my father's mirror twin, posthumously. He was killed by a sharpshooter after taking an area in Okinawa. He was killed June 4, 1945. His death is one from which I don't think my father ever really recovered. War is hell.

Sometimes the living afterwards is hell too. I think about how after the Civil War soldiers missing jaws and limbs struggled along. I think of the wounded today who not too long ago would have perished, but because of our technology today, they have survived horrific wounds but now have to struggle with severe head injuries and loss of multiple limbs.

Yesterday, I listened to a program on prosthesis and how that the hook, which basically hasn't changed much since WWII is still the best option for being able to function (rather than for aesthetics) is what most people who survive the loss of a hand end up having. I was horrified to learn that often insurance companies don't cover prosthesis as they are considered "cosmetic."

I hope that our service people who are losing limbs are being provided with what they need. It would seem pretty awful if these men and women who serve wouldn't be provided with proper prosthesis after losing their appendages while on active duty. However, I also know that sometimes what is right, isn't what is given.

I think of the psychological effects that our service people are suffering or are going to be suffering from. I think of the trauma that their families go through. I think of the loss of valuable memories because mom or dad wasn't there for momentous occasions.


I also think of all the women who served and are serving. Today, while we often think of "servicemen" at least women are beginning to be recognized for their contribution. We have a long way to go on that score, but it is still better than what Eleanor Chapman Broberg, my father's first wife, and countless other women in service and who served as nurses received in earlier wars. Eleanor was a W.A.C. She is the person in this photograph which I think was taken in La Jolla or at one of the bases right after the war.

For most women who served in WWII, they were not recognized after the war. I had a friend who did some research on nurses who served on the fronts in WWII, and it was pretty sad as far as what little recognition they received.

Eleanor died perhaps four years after this picture was taken. She had had polio as a child and suffered heart attacks during a pregnancy. I'm sure that the cigarette she has in her hand didn't help, but she passed away in the 8Th month of her pregnancy dying in my father's arms.

I think of the pain and loss my father suffered from the loss of his wife and his twin. I think of the loss that families suffer today. I think of the good things that our service people are accomplishing, and I recognize the hard work of the Coast Guard which sometimes gets forgotten in the minds of the average American. For you all, I just say thank you. For us all, I hope that someday we can get over our human propensity to engage in war. Maybe just a little compassion and understanding would go a long way.