Patriotism....

....Valor, Duty, Honor, Commitment, Endurance, Tenacity.....
They didn't call them the "Greatest Generation" for no reason!!
This is my dad, on the left as you look at the picture. The year: 1945. He was 18, a marine, and luckier than many others. He told us how he and the men of his unit were packed up and in line to be sent to Okinawa when the staff sergeant announced that they needed 10 guys to go to Japanese language school. No one volunteered, so the sergeant went down the line and said "you, you, you, you", etc. as he pointed to 10 different guys--my dad was one of them. He said none of the 10 of them had any aptitude for the Japanese language although they tried, so they were all put into the next rotation of men. Again they were packed up and in line to, as my dad put it, "do mop up duty in Okinawa", when another staff sergeant announced they needed 10 guys to go to Cooks and Bakers school. No one volunteered, so once again, it was down the line and "you, you, you", etc., & once again my dad was chosen. I think someone was looking out for him! As kids we used to laugh when he'd tell us that he'd gone to Cooks and Bakers School; he must not have had any aptitude toward cooking or baking either, as he couldn't make much beyond bacon and eggs! But we WERE impressed with his ability to crack the eggs, two in each hand, at the same time, and drop the insides into the bowl without any shells! :))
Thanks to Chantler63 for her hosting of MonoMonday, and for the great themes!