Morgan Griffith's Veterans Day Story

As promised (at Bubblews anyway), I did spend Veterans Day entirely in the real world. Several Veterans Day stories were waiting in the e-mail when I came back to cyberspace. Congressman Morgan Griffith's needs to be shared. I think the quotation marks around each paragraph are there because he expected this story to go viral and appear on lots of different sites that use different systems for marking quotations...this is one continuous story.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014 – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement honoring America’s veterans for their sacrifice and dedication to our country:

“I remain deeply grateful for America’s veterans and their efforts to keep our country the greatest nation, preserving and protecting the freedoms we hold so dear.   May God bless our veterans and these United States.”

“Veterans Day is a time set aside for our country to honor America’s veterans, past and present, for their service and dedication.  Whether or not they saw combat, whether they served overseas or at home,  we can never fully repay the debt of gratitude we owe those who have worn the uniform of the United States for their willingness to sacrifice life or limb.”

“Every November, I am reminded of the fact that Veterans Day was established following the end of World War I, which many hoped would be the last conflict of this nature.  Unfortunately, as we know, they were wrong about that.”

“As I reflect on Veterans Day and on World War I, I think about my great-Uncle Jim.  When I was a boy, I would sit, fascinated, listening to stories told by Uncle Jim and others.  Uncle Jim was one of those brave Americans drafted into the United States Armed Forces during World War I.  However, before his ship docked in England, the First Armistice was signed, ending the fighting and marking a victory for the Allied forces.  He made the trip, but he didn’t see combat.”

“It took months for Uncle Jim and his fellow troops to return to the United States. But upon his return, he couldn’t find his gold pocket watch.  He looked and looked, and just couldn’t locate it.  Eventually, Uncle Jim said, his family confessed to him that they had melted his pocket watch down and made it into jewelry, having resigned themselves to thinking that he wouldn’t return from the war alive.”

"Not all who serve in our Armed Forces face direct fire from our enemies.  Others, while willing to face fire, are needed either in support roles or, like Uncle Jim, their 'boat' arrives too late.  But all make sacrifices.  Some give their lives.  All give up time with friends and family.  And others give up things that don't seem quite as important but which are significant to them, such as a gold pocket watch.  And to all who have made those sacrifices, I say thank you." "