Foothills

To all of the veterans and those who serve in the military, thank you for your willingness to give up so much to uphold and defend our countries.

To all the family members of veterans and those who serve in the military, thank you for your sacrifice.

Veteran's Day is such a special day to many of us. Today I am thinking of my father. He was just a normal guy. But, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he did what thousands of men did - he volunteered. He joined the US Navy and served in many functions including a landing craft pilot during D Day and in a special forces unit in Europe, and awarded two silver stars during the course of WWII. He came home and did what any normal guy did - he found a beautiful young woman, got married and settled down to a normal life. But the horrors of war never left him. He suffered from what we now know is PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder. He battled the ghosts of his past alone. And he never talked about the war no matter how many questions we asked him. Then, on the 50th anniversary of D Day, he was sent an invitation to a dinner by the French Consulate. They wished to honor the D Day veterans. He decided to go, and was honored again for his part.

Shortly after that, he and I talked and he told me his story. I urged him to write it down before this precious piece of history was lost. He took my advice and wrote his story. My father was an eloquent writer. A year later, a publisher approached him about co-writing a book. He and several other vets collaborated on a history of landing craft during WWII.

Two months after the book was published, my father was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer. He died shortly afterward at the young age of 75.

I will always remember his love for his country. I will always remember the sacrifices he made to serve.

So thank you to those who have served and are serving now!

This photo was taken near Boulder looking to the north. I love the rock formations and the geologic structure along the front range. And I love the elongated shadows from the late afternoon sun.