The radio station for which I work held a 12-hour “radiothon” on Friday to raise funds for the local Military Families Support Group. I steeled myself to be awash in patriotic glurge all day, and I wasn’t disappointed. As part of the promotion, our program director – who stayed on the air constantly from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. playing a request-only format – “sold” requests for $10 a pop. The local old-guy-who’s-still-a-Marine (every small town has at least one) was in as special guest co-host. Somebody requested th Star Spangled Banner; the PD said, “Sorry, our National Athem is not for sale at any price, but we will be playing it twice today…” To which the OGWSAM replied, “Damn straight, and we’re gonna’ play it as it was intended to be played, not some Jimi Hendrix guitar solo crap!”
I wondered how long it woud be before somebody took the whole thing political. My answer came about 3:00 in the afternoon when a local merchant went on the air and actually said, “You cannot support the troops and oppose the war, it’s just that simple. If you oppose the war in Iraq, you encourage America’s enemies and endanger our troops.”
The up side: We raised over $7,000 for the support group. But I had to stay completely away from the whole thing. Today we’re cleaning up the pizza boxes, delivering the prizes and auction items, couting money, and so on.
I work until 4:30 and have an appointment with a personal trainer at 7:00. If I get out in time, I’ll catch *Chuck * on NBC but, if not, I’ll watch a couple episodes of *Angel * on DVD before bed.
I plan to drink heavily, have several psychotic flashbacks to Vietnam, find my AK-47 and go to the local Asian foodmarket. Or maybe go buy some snow tires. Haven’t decided yet.
Yesterday? I continued to celebrate Diwali by having Indian food for the third night in a row. I have a fridge full of leftovers.
I didn’t think a lot about veterens, as I don’t really know any that have fallen in a war. The only one I’m related to is my great aunt’s late husband, who died in WWII.
I did remember a former friend and coworker who died under mysterious circumstances. Car crash? Suicide? I never got the full story. Not long ago, I heard that his brother died in Afghanistan.
I can’t even imagine what his parents are going through.
I plan on spending my day buying more wrecked cars and listening to vets bitch about having to work on Veteran’s day. After that, it’s off to Angra-La to make dinner for the kids, watch some non-patriotic/non-war movie and then off to bed.
Just another day of hollow thanks to those who voluntered their necks (or in some cases, got their necks volunteered) in the name of Truth, Justice and The American Way.
I’m going to think about my Grandpa, who served in WWII, for a while, then I’m going to be annoyed that there’s no mail delivery.
Oh, and apparently everything is 50% off at Savers, a thrift shop a few blocks from my house. I’m going to go get some nice china and smash it (to make a mosaic).
I’m working. I wish I had the money to call India and talk to my uncle, it’s not Veteran’s Day in India per se but he is a veteran. I’ll think of him, and maybe write/send him a letter today.
But yesterday, I surprised when I walked into the sanctuary at church. Where the night before there had been a mostly empty “stage” with a baby grand piano, some risers, and a few chairs, there was now a normal looking Chancel area–complete with altar, pulpit, etc.
This shouldn’t have surprised me, but did.
And the flowers were all red, white, and blue (and probably fake–they looked an awful lot like ones I had seen before, say in July). And there was a “bouquet” of flags on the organ.
Pause for a moment of “huh?” followed by “Duh! Veteran’s Day!”
Past and present military personnel were invited to stand. And the service started with a silent processional, and two old men lighting the candles–especially the pray for peace candle.
Silent processionals are kind of creepy. Especially because there were so many older men standing–and one kid. (Kid is presumably twenty-something. But I swear I thought he was no more than high school age when I saw him the night before–until I recognized him.)
And creepy isn’t quite the right word. But it’s just a weird feeling watching folk process and light candles and such in silence in church.
In the US I tend to think of Memorial Day as being for the fallen, Veteran’s Day is for the living.
As such, well, I tend to view Veteran’s Day as my day - I’ll do a little something to perk up my day, but nothing too exciting. If I had the ability I’d donate something to a charity like the one the OP mentioned. I’ve tried to volunteer for the DAV driving duties, but they wanted someone with their own car - just to get where the DAV minivans were.
If we were still calling it Armistice Day, I’d be more into the Poppies, and other memorial aspects.
I’m working. Then I’m going home to clean the house, particularly the guest bedroom and bathroom. (The winemaker intern from Bordeaux that has been staying with us the last couple of months left over the weekend.)
I still haven’t bought a poppy, so maybe I’ll find one at lunch time. And I’ll call my mother and father to say hi and thank them for their service.
M husband, who is a Veteran, took the day off. He’s probably just getting out of bed. I imagine he’ll spend the day sitting around in his Guinness jammies playing Halo 3.
It’s mid-day here in eastern Colorado; the radiothon ended two days ago, but people are still giving. Our latest total is over $9,000. We’ve rung a huge bell with our rural middle-America audience. Frankly, I’m a little surprised, though. Still, I am a vet (peacetime Army, mid-1970s) so I have some mixed emotions about the whole thing.
I watched my standard Veteran’s Day movie, “The Best Years of Our Lives,” the 1946 Best Picture Oscar winner, starring Frederic March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell–who really did have his hands blown off in WWII–as vets struggling to readjust and return to their old lives after the war. Wonderful film. I cry every time they come home at the beginning.
I’m off from work. But it is a scheduled day off, nothing to do with the holiday. I am celebrating my status as a veteran by doing laundry. MAybe catch up on some Reaper episodes on DVR while folding clothes.
I paused for a moment of silence in the name of anyone who understands better than I do the connection between maintaining a free, peaceful society and getting up very early in the morning to be yelled at by men with short haircuts and tiny brains.
I do enough for veterans when I stand for the song before every ball game. I will even do this at home when I’m watching a night game in bed, which makes Mrs. Shelf nuts.
