Bill T
Well-Known Member
I posted yesterday about the wonderful Veterans Day ceremony we had here in White Plains ,NY .
Afterwards a friend and I went to a local pub to swap stories and knock back a few of my favorite Belgian beers .
Now earlier , at the ceremony all those who served of course had some sort of identifing uniform or part of one . I wore my green beret there and for the rest of the day .
At the ceremonies conclusion , those who served , spent some time making the rounds and thanked each other for their service . It is something , we as Veterans have done for some time now ...
Family members of those attending did the same , they thanked us . It truly meant a lot , because they meant it ..
Fast forward to later at the pub ...
I've lived here most of my life , so I knew a great many of the people there ..
All my friends know I was in the Military , they know how much of my life revolves around it ..
Yet as I sat there with my friends , still wearing my beret - proudly , I realised I was the only Veteran in the place ... 1 of 100 ...
No one acknowledged or cared about it .. even when they realised it was Veterans day , did anyone do what we as fellow Vets and their families would do ..
I know it has alot to do with locale .. the North isn't known for it's love of country like the South or the Midwest ...I look at our Mil Builds , only a few from the North , most from South and the Midwest ..
Now I didn't go there thinking I was going to have people buying me drinks (*)or lifting me on their shoulders and carry me to the steets at the front of a parade .
But it saddened me completely ...
I know patriotism isn't truly dead , but up here where I live , he's MIA ...
Thanks for letting me rant .. Next year , I think I'll go to Kentucky and visit Denny for Veterans day ..
* I drink Corsendonk , $16 a bottle , my friends are too cheap ..