Grandpa did you serve in the war? I notice when other people hold their
hands over their heart when the anthem is sung you stand at attention and
salute the flag. Truth is I learned this from my Grandpa who raised me when
my Father was a no show, who could beat women and children and dodged serving
his country even at a time we were at war and yes I called him a coward to his
face despite facing a beating. He disappeared when I was old enough to challenge
him. On the other hand Grandpa was very patriotic, only he was working twelve
hours a day building Navy ships. As a child Grandpa and I always stood at attention
and saluted the flag and watched football games. My love of sports. Today I think
of Grandpa as I stand and salute. Done for my country and in memory of Grandpa.
"I notice you have a hat that reads, "Korean Veteran!", "Did you serve in the Korean
war?" "Well to be truthful I was still in school when the war ended. I joined the
Washington National guard, (Army reserves) while still in high school. Your Uncle
gave me the hat. But when I joined the Air Force things were still going on in
Korea. Not everyone liked us. So there were times when it was scary. One time I
remember our ambulance was surrounded by rioters. They were trying to break windows
to get to us and turn the hummer over and light it on fire. Korean police rescued
us and sent us back to the base. I don't wear the hat because I do not want a veteran
seeing me and asking what conflict I was in. I have seen the battlefields and was
stationed thirty kilometers from the DMZ. Those who serve for us are never far from
danger. I salute the flag in respect for them. You watch a parade and everyone salutes
the first flag going by. One old man salutes every flag. He is a veteran. In that much
I am a veteran."
"You were in the Air force were you a pilot?" "Not all Airman fly planes. Some are
Air policeman, mechanics, and I was a emergency room corpsman. Having said that, there
are those who I was their only Doctor. I worked the night shift alone, to face any emergency.
Did I fly as pilot in a jet? This is tricky. One morning I was called on an emergency.
Rushed to the hanger 2 and taken up in a helicopter. Emergency rescue untrained, I was put
in a bucket and my job was to find the downed pilot. I saw him laying unconscious over a log
in the frozen mist.I was not a hero just part of the job. I admit to being scared to death.
I had never been on a helicopter nor in a bucket swaying back and forth. But to him I was
a hero. Months later recovered he came to the Hospital and an officer saluted me,tossed me
a flight jacket. "Pilot in training student Dandy" You see this pilot was a flight instructor.
He used his influence to allow this young airman the chance to fly in a two seat-er training
jet. I was allowed for a short time with instructions to fly a jet plane until I threw up.
This was how I found out I suffer from vertigo. But it was the thrill of a lifetime."
"You say you were in the Army, Navy, Marines and Air force. How can this be?" "Somewhat in
jest. The Marines use Navy medics. The Navy has one of the finest schools available. In
a test fifty of us Air force Medics were sent to Great Lakes Naval Academy. I trained with
the best. The hard part was I had already been through two boot camps. No exceptions we were
to take Marine boot camp to be medics. My training officer was an old Marine Sergeant. He
referred to Airmen as girls. We had to prove him wrong. For some of the things he did to me
I wanted to look him up and asked for a meeting on private time. He kept telling everyone no
one wanted to take him on. I was the exception. We owe so much for those who serve this
countries wars for us. So this is why I salute every flag and honor every Veteran, and thanks
Terry who has far more truths to be told than I/Dandy