What a beautiful, moving tribute on this Memorial Day. Thank you for some important things to think about.

You are very welcome. I appreciate your kind words.

I am a 78 year old retired physician, who served in WW 11 as a navy pilot. I cannot thank you enough for this beautiful tribute, which brought tears to my eyes.
Human society has suffered continual violence throughout history. Bless the men and women who sacrifice to make life a little safer. And bless you for understanding this. Seymour D.

Thank you, Dr. Dubroff.

Thank you for the essay about your uncle. Memorial Day is always a sad anniversary for me. My father died on Memorial Day weekend of a heart attack 40 years ago. He was a veteran of World War II, 82nd Airborne. I often think of him as one of Hitler's delayed-reaction statistics-- the coroner told my mother that he was seeing a lot of veterans dying suddenly in their late 40s and early 50s, and he assumed it was the aftereffects of battle stress.

I never went through a politically radical phase in college, mostly because I was too aware of the price my father had paid for my safety and my freedom. I'm older now than my father was when he died, but I'm still grateful for the life as well as the love he gave me, and I try to live my life in a way that reflects that gratitude.

Once again, thank you for the honesty as well as the thoughtfulness in your writing. God bless.

Your honest tribute brought me to tears. Life can
bring surprises that are meant to teach us and
help us to grow and understand ourselves and others in a deeper way.

What a wonderful family you have, they love very
deeply.

Thank you for your tribute, it is one I will remember.

Thank you very much for sharing this story. Beautiful.
Carl O.

What a touching story, beautifully told.

Thank you Gerard.

If we cannot die with his honor, my we live...with your honesty.

I followed your uncle to Korea, during the hottest part of the unwar period... 1965-69...

Driving from our island on the DMZ, I was armed and riding outside as the classified materials we were carrying filled the trucks cab...

Wearing army-issue underwear and fatigues and boots and fiberglass jacket and gloves, I was still feeling sorry for myself, when I saw way up ahead, a boy walking beside the road, coming toward our barreling deuce-and-a-half.

He was wearing torn jeans which ended at the knees, no shoes, a levi vest over no shirt, no hat and nothing but jeans and vest. I could see his ribs and gaunt collarbones, as he lurched along unevenly because of cerebral palsy or polio.

He grinned and waved lovingly to me as we raced past in the blistering, sub-Siberian cold.

To this day, I thank God I had the good grace to quit my bellyaching and recognize at least SOME of the many bounties I was receiving then, and receive now.

Your growth and insight blesses America, and all Americans grow when you grow.

Thanks for the story. What a shocking event it would be to have that experience. I am deeply touched. I came from a sort of pacifist family of Democrats and it took me until my forties to sort out the truth. I can relate to your process of maturation.

Lovely post, Gerard.

Forgive me for wasting your bandwidth, but I really want to share something I wrote back in 1998. Much of it still applies today.

Beautiful, moving, and wiser than perhaps you give yourself credit for. Thank you very much.

As I read I was reminded of my cousin Sonny who died in WWII. I never knew him but through his mother. His picture and flag hang in our hall now. Your words reminded me of all the families who gave their best for the safety we have. Thank you for telling us all again. Susan

Gerard:

Thanks. The middle son in my family was also a flier in that war, and perished in a bomber over Germany. His name was Marion, and no one in my family bears his name... because people don't give boys that name very much any longer. But it was apparently popular back in the '20s. His son was a sullen and morose kid whom I haven't seen since childhood, and who has pretty much disappeared from the family. I think he obtained a Ph.D. in History at the University of Washington at one point, but the last anyone saw of him he had become an habitual drug user, and was on his way to live in the woods in Oregon or Washington. I don't know anyone who has seen him in over 30 years...

I'd like to say that if someone reading this happens to be named "Bruce," with a father who died over Germany named "Marion," and if you have a cousin you haven't seen since childhood named "Scott," give me a call and we'll talk this out. I took the blue pill this time. And if I ever have a son, and it's getting pretty late to consider it frankly, I'll think about naming him Marion. I sort of like that name, actually.

Mr. Van Der Leun,

Thank you for this beautiful piece. I am sure I have never heard the love of family and our country more beautifully expressed. I hope you will not be upset that I copied your words and sent them to several of my friends. I am a retired US Navy officer from the Cold War and my father was a World War II vet (Burma). Even when I was serving, I never heard anyone express the cause he and I served in as moving and beautiful a manner as your words have for me. Thank you for your sentiments and may God bless you and your whole family.

SOMEONE SEND ME YOUR WEB PAGE AND TOLD ME ANOTHER GERARD. I HOPE WE CAN GET A GROUP WITH GERARD'S. PLEASE EMAIL ME. PHONE IS 763-552-3612

I wish every child in the country could read this. What a tribute to our men and woman in harms way. Sam Corbitt

I read this again today while America is paying tribute to another great American, President Ronald Reagan. There are still some great Americans out there. I found your story very heartwarming and poignant. Thank you for sharing it with us. I would love to see it get very wide dissemination.

Thank you very much for sharing it.

Gene