November 11th we will be observing Veterans Day and I for one am proud to honor all our Marines, Airmen, Army, Navy, and Coast guard men and women who are presently wearing or ever have worn an American uniform . Many have given their all and have shed blood on foreign soils for the freedom we enjoy. Oftentimes in harms way, these brave men and women stand at the ready to defend our way of life and our national posterity.

There are some in Veterans hospitals across this country. Many are maimed with wounds which left them without some of their natural appendages. Prior to my induction into the Air Force in 1968, my brother and our little band played music at the VA hospital in Black Mountain, North Carolina. We played for over a year several times a month. Occasionally, we left the comforts of the activities room and made the rounds to personally visit with some of the residents. Some were missing arms, some legs, and there was even one poor vet who was missing both arms and both legs. I only hope our visits and music brought some temporary joy into their lives.

I ,too am a veteran and served my country as an airmen during the Viet Nam War era. This was a terrible time in our history and a very unpopular( if there was ever a popular one) "war" with many "anti-establishment rallies" at major college campuses, how sad when recalling the Kent State fiasco. During my active duty years, national unrest due to the wars unpopularity and lack of public support created problems for many of us who wore the uniform. There were times when some of the hippies and yippies would harrass us at Jamaica Station or Penn Station in New York City with questions such as ,"How many babies have you killed today." Most of us ignored these groups of heckling draft dodgers, many fled to Canada to avoid serving our country in the military.

On November 11, I will have a special time in my morning quiet time to reverence and honer the brave men and women who have been such an integral part of this great land.