Patterico's Pontifications

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

(Yes. He was Canadian. Get over it !)

Alastor (2e7f9f) — 11/11/2013 @ 5:35 pm

We few, we happy band of brothers and sisters; some give all, all give some. To those who served to give me the freedoms I enjoy, to those I served with maintaining them, to those serving today, and those choosing to serve tomorrow — “Thank you!”

To those thanking me — You’re welcome. It was an honor and a privilege.

htom (412a17) — 11/11/2013 @ 5:54 pm

Happy Veteran’s Day and thanks for looking out for my family.
Hope all is better Steve57.

mg (31009b) — 11/11/2013 @ 6:22 pm

Yeah, Steve57, we’re thinking about you both as a Vet, and as someone who is enduring a difficult time with the recent passing of your father.
Godspeed, friend.

Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 11/11/2013 @ 6:27 pm

Let peace reign. Step away from thinking an empire, let alone drone attacks, are good.

Former Conservative (6e026c) — 11/11/2013 @ 6:58 pm

i ate too many granola bars today

happyfeet (8ce051) — 11/11/2013 @ 7:04 pm

It’s been many years, but the sound of a helicopter brings it all back in a flash. May the many who have fallen rest in peace.

navyvet (02dd07) — 11/11/2013 @ 7:04 pm

Today reminded me that I have a great job. I spent the day watching little kids telling their mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles how much they love them.

Today, it just so happened that some of the kids had moms or dads or cousins or grandparents or other relations who are either active service or veterans.

All of those kids love all those relatives regardless of whether they served or not. What made the day great was that all those service members and veterans had the chance to to be heroes to the people they love.

Ag80 (eb6ffa) — 11/11/2013 @ 7:39 pm

Step away from thinking an empire, let alone drone attacks, are good.

Comment by Former Conservative (6e026c) — 11/11/2013

What in the world does that have to do with veteran’s day, Former Christoph?

—-

This is a great blog partly because so many of the commenters here served. I am sorry to learn of Steve’s father passing and wish him healing while remembering his service and the service of a lot of other patriotic folks here.

I had an awesome weekend tempered a bit by my memory of those who didn’t make it back but loved this country very much. I feel like we all have a responsibility as citizens to live up to those millions of sacrifices, whether it’s a year away from the family or a veteran who paid for our freedom with his life. We all have to figure out our best way of honoring them.

Dustin (d51398) — 11/11/2013 @ 7:48 pm

Talking about military, received this e-mail.

IN GOD WE TRUST

NEVER STAND IN LINE AGAIN 🙂

A TRUE STORY ABOUT GEN McChrystal’s resignation in Obama’s office

Worth reading from Gen McChrystal’s book!

NEVER STAND IN LINE AGAIN (Gen. Stanley McChrystal

Some men carry and handle their diplomacy better than others……..

When former U.S. Military commander in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, was called into the Oval Office by Barack Obama, he knew things weren’t going to go well when the President accused him of not supporting him in his political role as President.
“It’s not my job to support you as a politician, Mr. President, it’s my job to support you as Commander-in-Chief,” McChrystal replied, and he handed Obama his resignation.
Not satisfied with accepting McChrystal’s resignation the President made a cheap parting shot. “I bet when I die you’ll be happy to pee on my grave.”
The General saluted. “Mr. President, I always told myself after leaving the Army I’d never stand in line again.”

Judy Eaton (aee826) — 11/11/2013 @ 7:51 pm

i don’t believe that story really happened

happyfeet (8ce051) — 11/11/2013 @ 8:05 pm

Well, you know Judy, that story is probably not true. No command officer would say such a thing to the President and Commander in Chief.

Ag80 (eb6ffa) — 11/11/2013 @ 8:11 pm

God bless all our vets and their loved ones. Remember Fisher House.

Colonel Haiku (216f74) — 11/11/2013 @ 8:15 pm

Its one of those stories that has to start with “if this is not a true story is ought to be…”

A nice comeback, but somehow I can’t hear Obama saying that opening line.

gramps, the original (c8e6d5) — 11/11/2013 @ 8:26 pm

This was Remembrance Day in the UK and I had the great honor of sitting with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Westminster Abbey a few years ago in front of The RAMC window in Westminister Abbey at the invitation of a friend, a retired RAMC doctor. The Queen placed the floral arrangement on the Centotaph outside. The Brits do those things better than we do. Especially, they don’t have Obama to deal with.

MikeK (dc6ffe) — 11/11/2013 @ 8:34 pm

Well, you know Judy, that story is probably not true. No command officer would say such a thing to the President and Commander in Chief.

Comment by Ag80 (eb6ffa) —

Your comment suggests that McChrystal was familiar with the retort. Obama is just petty enough to say his line.

MikeK (dc6ffe) — 11/11/2013 @ 8:38 pm

Especially, they don’t have Obama to deal with.

One can only imagine what is going on in private among the current occupants of the White House. So he snubs a major commemoration of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, while his wife earlier this year created a minor diplomatic flap by refusing to attend a major state dinner attended by China’s president and his wife. Prior to that, Obama celebrated Presidents Day by joining his “body man,” Reggie Love, in Florida while the missus and kids went vacationing in Colorado.

A game of connect the dots may be in order.

Mark (58ea35) — 11/11/2013 @ 8:46 pm

Steve57 — my condolences on the loss of your father.

htom (412a17) — 11/11/2013 @ 9:13 pm

Alastor, The Flanders Fields poem literally brought tears to my eyes. My mom showed it to me and I memorized it and recited it at our town’s Memorial Day services at the town cemetery (we called it Decoration Day back then). I was probably seven, maybe eight years old. My uncle was the American Legion Commander so I had an in. There were still a lot of WW1 vets alive then and that poem meant a lot to them because they had been there (or somewhere similar) and they knew how many of their young buddies did not make it back.

elissa (55f552) — 11/11/2013 @ 9:34 pm

The Commando’s Prayer
Give me, my God, what you still have;
give me what no one asks for.
I do not ask for wealth, nor success,
nor even health.

People ask you so often, God, for all that,
that you cannot have any left.
Give me, my God, what you still have.
Give me what people refuse to accept from you.
I want insecurity and disquietude;
I want turmoil and brawl.

And if you should give them to me,
my God, once and for all,
let me be sure to have them always,
for I will not always
have the courage to ask for them.

Corporal Zirnheld
Special Air Service
1942

redc1c4 (abd49e) — 11/11/2013 @ 10:15 pm

Sweet! http://imgur.com/ynCzu1R

This man would have approved: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqkEPvL15Ug/Unh1ljkVXiI/AAAAAAAAAfU/NccBL__Sg1w/s1600/Pop.jpg

nk (dbc370) — 11/12/2013 @ 3:55 pm

Thanks for the condolences. When I wrote that somewhat wacky comment I just got the 3:00am phone call.

Unlike some people, I take that call. Somebody might call your home phone by mistake. But when that phone stops ringing and your cell starts you know it’s nothing good.

My dad hadn’t actually passed yet. But he had a massive heart attack due to sepsis which had gone undetected. Due to his age and the severity of his condition he was on end of life care, and it was just a matter of time. I was on the plane within hours and was able to spend two days with him before he passed Monday the 4th. My mom and I were with him when he took his last breath.

We spent a good portion of Veteran’s Day with my dad at the vigil and the rosary. He was in his uniform.

Several of his fellow coastie chiefs were at the service the next day. Most didn’t know him, but they all knew of him. He was apparently widely renowned in the USCG Chief Petty Officer’s Association. When I stopped by their club last Wednesday to let them know he had crossed the bar I identified him by his rate and last name. And the current president of the local chapter blurted out his first name. So I asked him if he knew my dad. He said no, but then he said he knew of the legend that was my dad. That was his word, legend.

It was typical of my dad. He was an officer in too many associations to list here. My brother and I eulogized him at the funeral. He wrote what it was like to be one of his kids, and I read a eulogy from my nephew describing what it was like to be one of his grandkids. And both described the same key points. f you asked for his opinion you got his full, uncensored opinion. Even if you didn’t ask for his opinion, you’d get his full, uncensored his opinion. If he joined an organization, he’d ask what you needed done and then do it. If you didn’t know what you needed, he’d tell you what you needed. And if nobody did it, he’d do it. And if no organization existed, and he saw a need for it, he’d start one.

He had a rough exterior and when he got angry you knew it. Let’s just say he could be diplomatic and polite when the situation absolutely required it. It just wasn’t his normal mode of operation. Most of the time he was just direct in a way that lots of people found intimidating until they got to know him. He had a big heart, and it showed. As my brother put it in his eulogy as he looked out on the assembled crowd (and there was a good crowd), “Everyone here knew my dad. But look at all the people who showed up anyway.”

In addition to the Chiefs who attended (active and retired) the Coast Guard provided what Honor Guard they could to remove the flag from the casket and present it to my mom. Five riflemen from the American Legion fired three volleys.

I know in my heart of hearts if my dad could have planned a date for at least one of the funereal ceremonies he would have chosen Veteran’s Day. And, who knows, maybe he did. When he had the heart attack Friday night the ER doctor gave him less than 24 hours. But he hung around for three. My family believes he was negotiating with God about his final billet.

Steve57 (164dbd) — 11/13/2013 @ 5:40 pm

The bugler from Bugles Across America was great, as well. He suggested playing taps on the flugelhorn instead of a trumpet. He said it gave a mellower tone. He was right, it was beautiful.

Steve57 (164dbd) — 11/13/2013 @ 5:44 pm

You and your family must be proud of the legend.

mg (31009b) — 11/13/2013 @ 5:56 pm

24. You and your family must be proud of the legend.

Comment by mg (31009b) — 11/13/2013 @ 5:56 pm

Yeah. Pretty much.

Steve57 (338553) — 11/14/2013 @ 5:20 pm

Sailor, rest your oar
When your final dive is made, and your battery’s running low,
You’ll know there lies a boat for you many fathoms here below,
With your annunciators jammed on full and your depth guage needles bent,
Your accumulator’s dry of oil and your air banks all are spent,
It’s then you get to wonderin’, “is my life’s boat rigged for dive?”
Your guessing drill commences, “am i dead or still alive?”
You pace the flooded decks with scorn and curse the flaws of man.
Into realms of rex you’ve stepped, and here you’ll make your stand.
To live your life, as sailors must, at the bottom of the sea.
There’s one you’ll have to reckon-that one, my friend, is thee.
Will your conscience do you justice when the final muster’s in?
Did you lead the kind of life you should in every port you’ve been?
The answers to these questions and many, many more,
Are locked in the hearts of sailormen from cannes to singapore.
So, when your day for mast rolls ’round. the choice is up to you,
Sailor chart your course of life right now. chart it straight and true.
Now’s the time to flood your tanks and trim up ‘fore and aft.
It’s a trifle late when the klaxon sounds to square away your craft.
Your final billet lies below, on “old ocean’s” floor.
So, be ready when that last word’s passed.

Sailor, rest your oar!

Steve57 (338553) — 11/14/2013 @ 6:30 pm

My condolences, Steve57

JD (afdf01) — 11/14/2013 @ 6:50 pm

Sorry to hear of your fathers passing Steve

epwj (590d06) — 11/14/2013 @ 7:18 pm

Don’t be sorry for my father’s passing. Be glad that he lived.

http://www.amazon.com/United-States-Coast-Others-T-Shirt-small/dp/B00A4I870I

A friend of the family stopped by yesterday and summed it up. He said my dad was good for society.

Steve57 (338553) — 11/14/2013 @ 7:36 pm

Of that, I have no doubt.

JD (afdf01) — 11/14/2013 @ 7:37 pm

That is a wonderful tribute, Steve57. Thank you for sharing it here.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 11/14/2013 @ 7:47 pm

Again, thank you for the kind thoughts.

It is hard not to write a tribute to my dad. He wasn’t perfect, but he had a habit of making it to the goal. He showed how an imperfect man could succeed.

I learned a lot from my dad. When I went to Aviation Officer Candidate School the Marine DI’s tried to make us quite. That was their job; to weed out the quitters. I knew that before I got there. Apparently a lot of others didn’t know that. They lost their cool. They quit.

Their fathers may be wonderful men in their own way, but they didn’t prepare their sons for that. Mine did.

His family only spoke Italian at home. When he went to school he had to learn English. He was the eldest. So he taught his brothers, sisters, and parents English, because you couldn’t succeed without English.

He joined the Coast Guard on Valentine’s Day 1945.

He was a blast to go to football games with.

The 26th of this month would have been his 53rd Wedding anniversary. Like I said, he was no quitter.

When I first got married my Japanese bride was scared to death of the man. Because of his gruff exterior. But when she got to know him, she realized he was a sweet man. She just fell apart when he died.

Some services write themselves. We met with the parish priest and we had to pick out the readings and the hymns. And we were like, “Oh yeah. This is what dad would have wanted.”

A reading from the book of Genesis. Noah, the first mariner.

The hymns.

“Be not afraid.”

“Here I am, Lord.”

He was, amongst his other failings, a devout Catholic. And typically for my dad he was several times the president of the local chapter of the Italian Catholic Federation.

I never realized until I looked at his DD214s that he only had 2 years of High School. Considering what he accomplished, that’s amazing.

Steve57 (338553) — 11/15/2013 @ 7:05 am

11/11/2013

Happy Veterans’ Day

32 Responses to “Happy Veterans’ Day”

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