Which Reminds Me

Yes, I do think that our nation, the United States, does an excellent job of honoring our military veterans for their years of service to our nation. Their heroic deeds are honored with the purple cross and other medal honors. An entire branch of the government is devoted to building hospitals and clinics that provide excellent priority medical care to our veterans who have risked life and limb in obedience of their military orders of whatever nature for whatever purpose. "Our is not to question why, ours is but to do or die," as the poet says. When veterans die there are cemeteries designated for their burial with military honors. Two national holidays are set aside — Memorial Day and Veterans Day — for which to bring to remembrance the heroic deeds of past heroic deeds of the military branches — Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force. We have conceded that war is at times a necessary evil and that for military people to do their duty is a commendable and honorable thing even though military service is not mandatory in the U.S. I do not recall myself asking for or stating any need for further discussion of this point. I do not wish to be drawn into an argument on this particular subject. Research shows that Grandpa Calkins might have had some distant relatives who were of the pacifist persuasion but I wouldn't know anything about that. You would have to ask them because I don't really know what they think they are talking about.