[sixsix]

Thanks, Bruce! Time to let go of 'Let Us Go, Brandon' & move on to more friendly Signatures.

Thanks for a great read - just read back over again - tinworm, AstroWill, Onthewater01 and the others that chimed in. Great posts and they all said quite a bit ( except for the 6/8 cyl usual ) and are spot on & taken heartfelt by me.
And so true. I especially like the remarks... "old age" implies some sort of mystical wisdom.

A monkey in a camo suit is still a monkey, regardless of age.

...still feel "service" & "veterans" to be overused terms and the military ones are over-rated.
Come see me when you have worked at something for an entire career ( 30-40 years )...
- that is what should be celebrated.
Not a 4 yr military service guy who was an idiot when he went in...
- and a bigger one when discharged 4 years later.

Remember, we all volunteered - knew what we were getting into... right?

 

[WoodButcher]

All points to ponder.
I have / had many family members that served, all volunteers, more than one may have had simian ancestry.
All were given their due for what they did and this should never change. In my house, my lifetime it won't. My boys learned early to leave their headgear at home if we went to a parade for when the flag passed if they didn't remove the hats I might remove the head. (That was their story!)

Just because someone has 40+ years doesn't mean much Mike, I started bangin' nails in '75 or thereabouts. I didn't really have much choice in the matter then and now it's all I know. I work 7 days a week an I'm still a broke *** carpenter....
Both my boys worked with me before they were legally allowed to, my youngest son left me for retail, worked his way up to dairy manager in a local supermarket, he's not yet 30 yr old. He hates it.
He stays because he now has 3 kids, one that needs the medical insurance, a condo and a house and all the associated costs. Yes, this is his bed that he made, what he is doing to keep it, this I will celebrate.
My grandkids say yessir and thank you sir and don't wear hats to a parade either!