Daddies Rescue Children

 

Daddies sometimes do the most incredible things for their children. 

Military daddy

Tic Toc along

Aid volunteer rescuing a child

Dave Eubank

Daddies all over the world hold a love for their own children that no one can define. To give all you have to save a child, knowing that this is God's will and His gift to you is to be brave and feel compassion for a stranger, a sweet little girl who has lost all.

Home! Come home!

 

maneuvers along Israeli border

Helicopters fly

Gray and Green

Against a gray sky

Whoom-puh, Whoompuh

Blades cut through air

Shake leaves

Rattle glass

People watch from below.

Fly at night

Fly in day

Going where?  When?

Today, tomorrow.

Young men, young women

Sons and daughters all

Fly across

Desert ground, look down.

Whoom-puh, Whoompuh

Beating of their hearts

And

Beating of blades:

Same sound.

This was originally published September 12, 2012

Camp Pendleton is just 20-30 miles from us.  When we lived even closer, we could hear war maneuvers. Helicopters, munitions, half-tracks on the beach---something was about to happen.  Here, huge batches of Cipro were being stored in warehouses, ready for possibility of poisonous weapons being fired.

So, why is this being posted now?

Our men and women are coming home! After 20 years, they are coming home.

Bring them home.

1985 photo taken Stephen McCurry. Search for the green eyed girl led to this woman.

                                              Afghanistan Nat'l Geo

Afghanistan used to be a rugged country "somewhere up there" on the map and that it was vulnerable to Russia's invasions. National Geographic was active in documenting its history, people, and landforms.

Then 9/11 happened, and American troops went to this country, staying there since 2001. Our President has set September 11, 2021, as the date to start the process of demobilizing. 

How to come home?  Coming home from a 2 week vacation is hard enough, but coming home after being there?  From the longest war seen in the modern era?

Bring them home.  Bring our soldiers home. Bring them joy, bring them peace. Bring them home.

Les Miserable, four Jean Val Jean performers.

17 Jean Valjeans from around the world

The YouTubes are from "Les Miserables", a musical about the French revolution. Each is about 3 minutes or so.

Old Men in Caps

Harry Miller, veteran of WW 2, Korean War, and Vietnam

Old men in caps

Canes, walkers, wheelchairs

Old men.

USMC WWII

Army WWII
Navy WW II
Army Air Corp

Korean War
Vietnam war
Now, war in places unknown.

US Navy air craft carriers sending planes to fly off

Army Air Corp, carrying food, supplies,
and bombs—

Women who served,
but hidden.

Men and Women,
not on the front lines,
But at home, making survival
possible.

Gold embroidered

On black.
Proud to wear their caps.

Old men in caps.

Walking away,

Walking on ahead.

Oldest veteran of WW 2, Richard Overton, died at age 112 In December 2018

Lately, I see very few WW 2 veterans, as most are in their nineties. When I do, I shake their hands and thank them for what they and their comrades did.

Now, the Korean vets are the old fellers. They still walk straight and tall. Shake their hands and thank them for their valor.

The Vietnam veterans are from my era. I thank them and ask how they are doing after their unappreciated service. We talk a while, share our memories of friends and families. 

My small county with the rural towns had many men who headed to Vietnam. Some returned, some returned but with scarred memories, and too many found their ways home in caskets.

Now veterans from this era come home and are welcomed by a grateful nation.  Too many come home with prosthetics and horrible scars. If you meet one, shake their hands, thank them for what they and their comrades sacrificed. 

Try not to cry.

 This was originally a re-post from 2013, now re-written.

My appreciation and understanding have grown. I have shaken many hands.

We live near Camp Pendleton.

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