…and I visited Veterans Memorial Park in Spanish Springs.  They had a very moving ceremony that honored not only the fallen soldiers of past and present wars, but also all of the brave men and woman who are fighting or are veterans of the wars.  I disappoint myself sometimes because I take things forgranted, my daily life is so busy that I forget to be thankful for what I have, or to remember those loved ones lost in our wars.    As I stood there and listened to the speakers, my thoughts were filled with my nephew John, a helicopter pilot who was shot down and died in Afganistan.  He was buried in Arlington National Cemetary, and a flag will most likely be put on his grave today, but the guilt I felt that I had not thought of him until standing and listening to the Star Spangled Banner being sung, or the bagpipes, and the drums and 21 gun salute.  I stood remembering he was the same age as my son, he was a twin, he was the more serious twin, and how they all ran in the fields and  played at the Family Annual Picnic until they were ready to drop from either exhaustion or over extended tummies.  The twins parents were a little more disciplined when it came to making sure the twins ate only healthy food.  No sugar for them.  Their favorite uncle was Jim and whenever he was around, the two of them followed him where ever he went.  They would not leave his side. They sat at his feet and on his lap, they put their little arms around his neck, and when I asked what the secret to his popularity was…he winked and said they always know I have candy in my pocket for them.  Today there is not candy for John but a flag in his memory, and an Aunt that will never forget to observe his special holiday, and to remember  how fortunate we all are to have had a father or son, mother or daughter, neice or nephew who gave their lives for us. The crowd was quite large and I was not able to get too close so I returned later to take a picture of the monument, which is surrounded by bricks dedicated to family members past and present, and as I was leaving there were Veterans making sure everything was put back in place, and spending one more moment of their time for us, taking care 0f our flag,

…thank-you, thank-you.