Day after Veterans Day

Veterans Day. 

When it was Princess, Red and I, normally ended with talk of Alaska   My Dad, Red, was stationed on Attu Island during WWII   He lived in a tent with what appeared to be an earthen floor and a smallish stove/heater   He was a sergent and work on airplanes   He signed up for the army-air force (back then it wasn’t separated) sent money home to his girl to save (which she did)   

He time in the war was harrowing for a south side second generation Irish guy   Alaska was colder than cold   A wall of frozen, dead Japanese solders was a break front for a strong wind (it was frozen solid  and burials couldn’t happen in the winter)   My Dad was mortified and the worst was not yet over   

Repairing airplanes completely filled and frozen inside and out   Snow so thick the planes controls were caked with ice, snow and then the sleet pouring down   Buildings caving in, tents covered completely, looking and feeling like igloos   Frozen, not Elsa’s version; really frozen   Even dry clothing was wet and cold in the tent   Frostbite was one enemy, besides the obvious one   

There were other things Dad never talked about   Watching war movies or anything scary was out of the question in the house I grew up in  the first reality based action war movie I saw, Saving Private Ryan, I cowered into the cute ones shoulder……. Thinking of my Dad’s war realities was running through my head   I’d seen other movies, Sink the Bismark, Hunt for Red October, none hit me as hard as what Hollyweird decried as a reality war movie.  

Lesson today is that Veterans are important - learn about the ones in your family   You probably have several veterans that have served in different wars and have come home to gran receptions or returned to protests   All veterans need to be respected and thanked for their service   Active duty should be thanked as well     For today’s localized RANT- don’t read it if you can’t take it:

Veterans have been roved from their housing so that migrants could move in.  This has been happening in Chî’s Lincoln Park neighborhood   

Chicago is quickly becoming a wasteland dumping ground.  

These veterans served our country.  They may have issues because of that service and should be cared for.  My Dad and my Uncle served through the horrors of WWII - they weren’t as bad as some but they had their moments im sure.  

My Dad and my Uncle served for the right of the left wing looney tunes to have the right to be friggen’ left wing looney tunes (they lost me at wearing fairy wings to the Capital Building- at least show respect for the institution). 

Our veterans need their housing back and to be cared APPROPRIATELY!