Eternal God, Merciful Father of All: We invoke your blessings upon those of our citizenry who have served the United States of America in peace and in war; who have stood guard throughout the world, dedicated to the defense and preservation of the security and freedom of the American people. In times of trial and conflict You have stood by them, sustaining and strengthening them in the performance of their duties. Continue to extend Thy sheltering presence over them, guarding and protecting them.
Imbue each of us with zeal for America. Deepen our love for our country and our desire to serve it. Cause us to see clearly that the well being of our nation is in the hands of all its citizens. Strengthen our faith in the democratic foundations of our nation, and gird us all with courage and perseverance, that we might face the future with confidence and without fear.
To ALL my fellow Pipe Smoking Veterans here.....A Happy Veterans Day to you. Those of us who have been "there" naturally think of our friends who never returned to be able to continue their life, get married, have children, and live the American Dream. I always think of my Dad who was captured in Italy in September 1943 and spent the next almost two years in Stalag 2B up in the Prussian Corridor as guest of the Wermach. He ended up marching back and forth from January 1945 until April 1945 back and forth thru Northern Europe, intended to become ransom or pawns in post war negotiations by the Germans. That was supposedly the coldest winter in a century, and did he have stories. They slept in unheated barns when available, or on the ground if need be. Quite a few POWS froze to death or died from illness. They were "rescued" (liberated) by good old General Pattons' boys. Everytime I thought about this when I was "there", I always wondered how those guys endured malnutrition, dysentary, and all the horrible sicknesses and wounds that they had and kept going. I would immediately felt better as to my situation. Whenever I here "I'll be home for Christmas" I tear up as he once told me he would hum that tune in December thinking of his family back home. My Dad.was an Infantry Scout, Co.E, 2nd Bt, 143 Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. To this day he ois still the Greatest man I ever knew and I miss him so much.
I had an uncle that was in the Navy when Pearl Harbor was attacked, another served fighting in a tank division against Rommel, my father and his twin brother served in Japan near the end of the war in an Army engineer battalion. I have another uncle that served in Vietnam in the Air Force, an older cousin that served in Vietnam in the Navy, and an other uncle in the Army in Germany at the same time. My brother served two tours in Iraq Desert Storm as a Marine Corp Recon Sniper, and another tour in Afghanistan in an infantry unit as a Gunnery Sergeant. He came in just under the age limit in his second and third tours...they increased the limit both times just enough. He also transferred from his original Recon unit to the infantry unit so he could go to Afghanistan as his original unit was not going to come up in rotation soon enough for him to serve in Afghanistan. He retired from the Corp a few years ago. I also have four cousins that served in the Army, one a woman. Another cousin’s husband is an Army Ranger and has served in many clandestine missions. I have another younger brother that served in the same Marine Recon unit for awhile, but transferred to an Army unit and finished his 4-6 year? stint. He decided he did not want a career in the military and was honorably discharged before Desert Storm so he was never “in country”.
Through all of this, all of my family members (as far as I know) that have served in combat zones made it home alive and kick’in, with no major physical wounds. Thank you Lord🙏🏻
Happy Veterans Day to all my fellow veterans. I had an uncle in the Army Air Corp in WWII but had just finished his training when the war ended so he didn't see anytime overseas. My ex-brother-in-law was drafted and did two tours in Vietnam and was discharged a couple of years after being assigned stateside. They said he had problems integrating back into a peacetime unit - what they call PTSD and provide some treatment for these days.
A fine military and truly American family you have there. My one Grandfather served in the Army in WW1. WW2 had my Dad, my Uncle (who died years later while still in the Army as a CWO at 35 years), another Uncle who was a Army Air Force Pilot in the Pacific. I had another Uncle who was Air Force during the Korean "Police Action". Then came the sixties, watching the TV news every night I knew what I was going to end up doing, I joined the US Navy and ended up on a Minesweeper, I could not afford College Tuition, my Parents could not afford to send me so off to the Recruter I went. That sort of ended the string of events. I have an older cousin who was not qualified physically and got married to insure his exemption. I also have a younger Cousin who was too young for the draft or to enlist. So we as a family contributed to the American system of Volunteering, and serving in the Military to ensure our way of life.Thank God my son was not required to serve as the timing was not right for him, but I worry about my 5 Grandsons with what goes on today throughout the world.
While the first of my family in the New World, Anthony the Selectman (Portsmouth, NH), was a signer of a petition regarding King Phillip's War, none of the action came so far north as the New Hampshire border. However, one of his sons who was a militia captain was killed along with one of his own sons at the Burning of Falmouth (All of today's towns surrounding Portland Harbor made up the one town of Falmouth during the colonial era.) during the French and Indian Wars. While Captain Brackett and his brother, who was a militia Lieutenant, were the first generation of Veterans in the family, I in my line (of younger and sometimes youngest siblings of a generation) am a member of the tenth generation of veterans.
Caught my attention, saw it in my email. For some reason the only posts that show up on a regular basis are concerning Has Anyone Created Their Own Pipe.
Comments
Amen.
You are very gracious; thank you.
The greatest generation!
Through all of this, all of my family members (as far as I know) that have served in combat zones made it home alive and kick’in, with no major physical wounds. Thank you Lord🙏🏻
A fine military and truly American family you have there. My one Grandfather served in the Army in WW1. WW2 had my Dad, my Uncle (who died years later while still in the Army as a CWO at 35 years), another Uncle who was a Army Air Force Pilot in the Pacific. I had another Uncle who was Air Force during the Korean "Police Action". Then came the sixties, watching the TV news every night I knew what I was going to end up doing, I joined the US Navy and ended up on a Minesweeper, I could not afford College Tuition, my Parents could not afford to send me so off to the Recruter I went. That sort of ended the string of events. I have an older cousin who was not qualified physically and got married to insure his exemption. I also have a younger Cousin who was too young for the draft or to enlist. So we as a family contributed to the American system of Volunteering, and serving in the Military to ensure our way of life.Thank God my son was not required to serve as the timing was not right for him, but I worry about my 5 Grandsons with what goes on today throughout the world.
Tobacco pipes and the military
https://www.tobaccopipes.com/blog/tobacco-pipes-and-the-military/