you know I never served. I was a couple of years too young to hit the draft in the Viet Nam Era. I didn't know the value of service back then. I visited my father's grave today. A veteran of not only WWII but called up for Korea and had his uniforms tailored at the legendary Rosenberg's of New Haven. A veteran of two wars; never were clothes donned with such honor.
I won't write about how much I want the girls and boys serving today to come home safely. But I will suggest that the country would have been better off and will be better off with a requirement for service in our armed forces or some equally meritorious duty. If every one served we would value the uniform more and put elegant clothes in the perspective that they deserve.
Irrespective of the politics that direct them, we honor the uniform and the service. We respect the sacrifice.
Let's take a moment to think about the sacrifices made by all the civilians out there, many of them with darker skin than ours, and virtually none of them allowed the choice to "give their lives for their country".
TV
It retrospect, maybe my post was inappropriate. I'm not sure. way off topic. My father died a year ago. I never had the life he had. He always liked clothes but being a product of the Great Depression, was never willing to make a splurge, until very late in life. I remember rescuing him from a nursing home a couple of years ago. Before i got him out he said to his roomate "My son always shops at Brooks Brothers". His elderly roomate nodded approvingly. they knew the indulgence and approved. But coming from a family that valued thrift, and I assume others as well came from that background, I wonder about our indulgence. And I stand in rank astonishment at those who grew up in the Depresion, were called to service in WWII and then, just at the start of their careers were called up for three more years in Korea. Greatest generation hardly describes it.
But the kids today.......my gosh. service indeed.