Each year on Veterans Day I take a moment to honor family and friends who served in the military with an e-mail or text. It's the least I can do to recognize their contributions including first and foremost, protecting our freedom.
One of those veterans is my grandfather, Jack Anderson, who served in the US Army's 451st Anti-Aircraft Artillery during WWII. I had the honor of transposing his dairy from hand written booklets to an electronic version alongside my mom and uncle. We had the benefit of not only his written words, but my grandfather was able to confirm the details and guide placement of pictures he took before he passed away in 2009. I learned a great deal through this experience, which sparked further exploration including a WWII forum where I connected with the ancestors of Major George Cook who was killed in action which my grandpa noted in his diary.
This year I was honored to speak in front of my son Jack's 3rd grade class at Carver Elementary about my grandfather's service. The class was so attentive and interested that I got choked up a couple times thinking about how happy it would have made my grandpa.
In addition, Jack's class held a Veterans Day program where they performed patriotic songs and lined the walls of the school with stars recognizing family and friends who served. We hosted a family friend at the event, Dan Vigdal, who served in the Marines and Air Force. He shared details about his experience in the service including the military advancements that go far beyond the battlefield.
He shared a story about a a young child asking his grandfather what they did before tablets and cell phones. The grandfather said they were busy inventing the technology of the future. I know quite a few veterans including my uncle who learned valuable technical skills during his time in the service.
Thank you Veterans! We appreciate your service to our country and for sharing your wisdom and experience, helping me and my family learn from you!
Learn In The Flow Of Life
Jason
PS: If you want to find a way to support veterans, there are quite a few organizations out there that are doing great things including: The Gary Sinese Foundation, honor flights originating out of most states including Stars and Stripes Honor Flight out of Wisconsin, and American Corporate Partners.
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