Kudos to Buzz

[ValiantSailor]

https://www.facebook.com/hokiesports...28945/?fref=nf

VS

[IrwinFletcher]

Amen!

[dubs98]

well done

[Gato78]

Fwiw, my late father in law was a WWII hero--2 Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart as a result of his valor in the Battle of the Bulge. He would hate these types of adulation. He was from the old school--you shut up, do your job and don't brag. When Mrs Gato and I watched the Villanova game tonight, she was emphatic that her father never would have participated in that kind of recognition. My nephew who served in Iraq is of a similar mind--the recgnition of veterans at sporting events makes him crazy--should not be in a soldier's DNA.

[TedBaxter]

Agree Gato.

My best friends father fought in WWII and was at the Battle of the Bulge, but he never said anything about it. I knew he was in the National Guard, but until his obituary came out in 1984, I never knew that he was in one of the deadliest battles and even his sons weren't told much. He said to one of them that he had lost a lot of friends and wanted to leave it at that.

[MulliganMusings]

I understand Gato's point. My father flew 25 missions, on a B-17, during WWII and all my uncles served including one who fought on Iwo Jima and rose to the rank of Colonel in the USMC during his subsequent career. I never heard either one tell a "war" story. Stories about guys they knew, friends, humorous encounters but never one story about combat action. The closest my Dad ever came is one evening, while watching a documentary on the introduction of the Messerschmidt jet by the Germans late in the war, he said that those planes terrified the B-17 crews because they would come up and take out a number of planes before running out of fuel and returning to base. He then commented that if Hitler had listened to his military and scientists we might all be speaking German; fortunately he did not That said, it's a different time and I think today people like to celebrate their patriotism in many ways including acknowledging the contributions of our veterans. I also think some of it stems from the poor treatment veterans, of Vietnam, received.

[Phantom Warrior]

My father was a Lieutenant in the Navy in World War 2 in Okinawa, which was the site of incredibly fierce battles. Not once did my dad ever talk about the War. It was almost a forbidden subject in our home. I was never allowed to even ask him a question about the War.

I am sure there are vets from the Viet Nam War and the wars in Iraq that feel the same way my dad did, while others are open, perhaps even eager, to share their experience and their thoughts/views.

Personally, I can understand and appreciate both reactions.

[Halo]

Interesting stories guys about your relatives/friends. I have heard in the past from my relatives they hate to talk about it because of just the sheer horror of losing your 'brothers' there in death or awful injuries and it was something many of them did not sign up for or yearn to be and do. They were drafted and had a job to do, but they were just normal boys/men like many of us thrust into life and death situations that they had no control over. I cannot imagine and I am sure I would not want to talk about it much either.

[unclejohn]

My father was a Lieutenant in the Navy in World War 2 in Okinawa, which was the site of incredibly fierce battles. Not once did my dad ever talk about the War. It was almost a forbidden subject in our home. I was never allowed to even ask him a question about the War.

I am sure there are vets from the Viet Nam War and the wars in Iraq that feel the same way my dad did, while others are open, perhaps even eager, to share their experience and their thoughts/views.

Personally, I can understand and appreciate both reactions.

They did not talk about PTSD back then. I understand the reaction as well, but I do like the idea of recognizing those who serve. Many medal recipients feel that they are undeserving because they do not believe they did anything extraordinary or that others who are not recognized are more deserving, but they accept medals as a symbol for those who did not receive them. I think about events like this in that light.

[MUFLA]

Fwiw, my late father in law was a WWII hero--2 Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart as a result of his valor in the Battle of the Bulge. He would hate these types of adulation. He was from the old school--you shut up, do your job and don't brag. When Mrs Gato and I watched the Villanova game tonight, she was emphatic that her father never would have participated in that kind of recognition. My nephew who served in Iraq is of a similar mind--the recgnition of veterans at sporting events makes him crazy--should not be in a soldier's DNA.

Gato --

My grandfather was in the 75th and also fought in the bulge. He is/was also of the same exact school. May be a virtue of that generation. One thing has changed (& it has taken him a normal person's lifetime) but he now discusses the war openly and often. I think the VA system has been instrumental in that. He continues to engage and help other vets there.