All too soon the Great Crusade, in Eisenhower’s ringing phrase, will slip beyond living human memory, and for those of us who knew veterans of that immense struggle, that is a melancholy fact.
Inevitable But Sad
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Amen and RIP. The last one I personally knew, a veteran of Patton’s Third Army, passed away last year.
The greatest generation, they were called. And rightly so.
What an abuse to their sacrifices and valor, this current generation who can’t or won’t define what it means to be a woman. The flag of our fathers to share on the same staff
the flag of disgrace, disrespecting the deep meaning of God’s rainbow.
The greatest generation will not have to see these ungrateful citizens abuse the blood they shed much longer. Their reward awaits.
God bless our veterans.
God. Help us all. The new Ark is open to all, but they must want to enter into her Immaculate Heart. They, and we, must lower the pride flags in our life and be robed in glory for the reunion of the elect.
There’s a veteran of the Normandy invasion in the local area here. He’s occasionally asked to give talks to school groups. He resides in independent living and is still in satisfactory shape, though his daughter-in-law would like him to use a walker and there have been some recent s/t memory issues. The ‘younger generation’ in his matrix are around 85. He has a 22 year old great-granddaughter. (The sad thing about his situation is that he’s outlived his wife, outlived two of his three children, and might just outlive one of his daughters-in-law).
I have reflected on this a lot lately. I’m in my late 60s and grew up in San Diego and World War II and the veterans were ever present and honored. It was in the background of my life. Now, not too many people even knew a WWII veteran in their lives, much less know about what they went through. One of the most harrowing stories I ever heard was from a Deacon who was in the D Day invasion. In a matter of fact manner telling of going past wounded and dying soldiers crying out for their mothers. Just that image was something I never forgot. May they all rest in peace.
Glad I shook hands with an Italian campaign veteran 10 years ago when I did. My maternal grandfather was a veteran of WW2, but he passed 30 years ago, alas.
I had the honor of being the son of a veteran of WW II who, after landing on the beaches of Normandy, fought his way across Europe until meeting the Russians at the Elbe River in Germany. He was just a farm boy from Mississippi who has been dead now approximately six years. He never spoke of his war time experiences unless another initiated the subject. I miss him greatly.
Thank you for your service, Donald McPherson
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