“Never Forget” Is More Than Just A Bumper Sticker

This morning, as I was walking into the drug store, I glanced over and saw a man sitting in a car that was parked in one of the handicap spaces. I didn't think anything of it, after all, I see cars parked in handicap spaces all the time.....but then as I walked past the car, I noticed that there was a very simple, plastic license plate on the front of the car that read "USS Saratoga…WW ll". I continued on into the store and then suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt that I just had to turn around and go back out to that car. I walked up to the car and there, still sitting in the driver's seat...with the door open and his legs out of the car...was an older man trying to read the label on a bottle. I walked up to the car and said "Excuse me sir". He looked up at me and smiled. I said "World War ll ?"...He answered "Yes I was ". As I reached out my hand, I said “Sir, I want to thank you for your service”. As we shook hands, he looked up at me and said something that almost moved me to tears. He said "We don’t want people to shake our hands and thank us all the time....We just don’t want you to forget us". I continued to hold onto his somewhat frail hand, and assured him "You will never be forgotten….you guys were the greatest generation ever".

We started talking, and almost immediately he informed me that his grandson was now in the Navy..."On the 'Eisenhower'", he said. I told him that my Dad was in the Navy “In Korea”, to which he responded…”I had a son in Korea…I’m thankful that he came home”. I stood there and we talked like old friends for several minutes. Finally, I shook his hand one more time….thanked him one more time….and went back into the store.

As I sat in my office today reflecting on that brief encounter…I found myself going through a whole gamut of emotions. I felt grateful that I had the opportunity to meet a man from that era. An era where so many young Americans fought in a war that gave freedom to millions of people around the world, from tyrants like Adolph Hitler, Stalin, Tojo and Mussolini. I felt sad that I knew that there were certainly other opportunities that I had, to do the same thing…and sadly, had not taken the time to do so. Lastly, I felt tremendous anger toward so many of these snot-nosed, little whiners who have taken to the streets in recent days, to protest “war”. Not any particular war…just war in general. They carry signs that say stupid things like “Give Us Healthcare….Not War”. It seems typical with Occupy Wall Street protesters, and more recently the NATO conference protesters…that its all about "What can you give me?”…and NOTHING about them offering anything back. They are obviously too stupid to realize that throughout the years….men like this man….my dad…and all of the men and women who served before and after them……gave not only years of their lives, but often arms and legs, and far too often their very lives….so that they would have the freedom to have their pathetic little anti-war protest.

So why am I writing this today? The fact that I can't get the words “We just don’t want you to forget us” out of my head...answers that question. Most of us will probably never participate in a whiny anti-war protest….but do we “forget”? I have made a pledge to myself today….that going forward….when I have the opportunity to show a veteran that I haven’t forgotten them….I will take it. Will you do the same? I assure you that had seen the expression that I saw this morning, on this little old man’s face, when he realized that his sacrifice had not been forgotten….you would never “forget”. Then Again….That’s Just Me