Veteran's Day

by Annette Dashofy

This is a wistful week for me. My dad has been on my mind quite a bit. For one thing, today is Veteran’s Day. Dad was an MP in World War II. I don’t know very much about his time in the Army because he never wanted to talk about it. Never wanted to watch war movies. Never wanted to be reminded of that time in his life. In fact, the only time I recall him speaking of it was in hushed tones with my cousin who had served in Vietnam. And then, it was only when the two of them were off in a corner somewhere, alone. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when we were dealing with getting his affairs in order that we discovered he’d been awarded the Bronze Star.

Last week, after the horror at Fort Hood, my mom informed me that Dad had been stationed there for his basic training. Somehow, that news made a dark day feel even darker.

And to further add to my melancholy, this Friday the 13th would have been my dad’s ninetieth birthday. He passed away almost three years ago after being ravaged by Alzheimer’s and ultimately succumbing to pneumonia.

So take a moment today to say thank you to a veteran. Each one is someone’s father, mother, sister, brother, son, or daughter. And each one has a story, whether they want to tell it or not.

Thanks, Dad.

A DAY TO REMEMBER

by Gina Sestak

It's hard to post on Memorial Day without getting political, but you already know where I stand on the war from my past posts. Still, I can't bring myself to simply tout the pleasures of picnics. This is as serious holiday.

Memorial Day began unofficially after the Civil War as Decoration Day, a time to put flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.

There is nothing wrong with honoring the dead but, to me, it makes more sense to focus on the living. Not all casualties of war die in combat. As many as 18 veterans commit suicide every day.

So, if you want to be patriotic, forego buying that "USA #1" t-shirt made in China and do something useful. Hug a veteran today.

TYPING FOR FRIENDS

by Gina Sestak

Today is Veterans Day, and one of the few jobs I've never held is military service.

In the 1960s, though, while I was working my way through college and struggling just to survive, I did manage to devote my few free hours to an unpaid volunteer job, helping young men avoid becoming veterans. That was during the war in Viet Nam, and the draft was forcing young men into service to their country. I helped out by typing applications for conscientious objector status. If the government could be convinced that a draft-eligible man was sincerely a pacifist, he could do alternative service, fulfilling his military obligation by working in human services.

I volunteered at the Friends Meeting House, Pittsburgh's Quaker Center, in conjunction with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), which was founded in 1917 to provide young Quakers and other conscientious objectors an opportunity to serve those in need instead of fighting during World War I. In 1947, the AFSC received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, you may remember. November 11 marked the end of World War I, the "war to end all wars." War hasn't ended, though, so some of us are trying an alternative method to put an end to war. Every month, on the 15th, the World Dreams Peace Bridge, an international on-line peace group, urges everyone to dream for peace. Will you join me on November 15 to dream some peace into this troubled world?