I was watching a show on Netflix last night about the D-Day invasion in France during World War 2. Those veterans who were lucky enough to live through that horrific day are dying at a rapid rate. Not many are left at this point. When I first enlisted in the navy there were many of them who were in that war and the navy ran like a fine tuned machine, but as they retired, the navy went downhill in a hurry.
My father and uncle Kenny and Joyce’s father were veterans of that war and they have been gone for a long time. I just heard that James Thompson, another veteran may be on his last sea legs. James joined the navy when he was 18 in October of 1945. My friend Kevin (James’ long-time family friend) wanted to help write his story while he was still able to tell it. James had a wonderful memory of his past, especially for his age. I helped Kevin edit James’ story and that is how I learned about James. It turns out James and I were in many of the same places, NAS Agana Guam, Cubi Point, Philippines, Subic Bay, Hong Cong, San Diego, Midway Island, Pearl Harbor, the USS Kitty Hawk and a few others, just not at the same time. I suppose that is why I felt an immediate kinship with him. We had the same experiences during our navy time. James was in the navy long before and after than I was. He enlisted and later became an officer and rose to Lieutenant Commander (highest rank an enlisted man who gets commissioned will ever rise to). He retired while on board the Kitty Hawk in 1973 after I was there and while I was then aboard the Enterprise off the coast of Vietnam. James is a remarkable man and an American who any man should want to emulate. If James passes on, we have lost yet another of the greatest generation. If you would, remember James in your prayers today/tonight.
I do not mean to take away from those who served in Vietnam and the young men who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan at the moment. They too are a great generation, many of them have seen more combat time than most of the World War 2 veterans, but they are few in comparison to the numbers of men in world War 2. I feel that they are not receiving the gratitude that was there in 1945 and that is a shame. The Vietnam combat veterans had a horrid homecoming and all they did was what their country asked them to do.
James’ book is a great story, especially for anyone’s first and only book. It is available in Kindle or paperback on Amazon with this link.
My father and uncle Kenny and Joyce’s father were veterans of that war and they have been gone for a long time. I just heard that James Thompson, another veteran may be on his last sea legs. James joined the navy when he was 18 in October of 1945. My friend Kevin (James’ long-time family friend) wanted to help write his story while he was still able to tell it. James had a wonderful memory of his past, especially for his age. I helped Kevin edit James’ story and that is how I learned about James. It turns out James and I were in many of the same places, NAS Agana Guam, Cubi Point, Philippines, Subic Bay, Hong Cong, San Diego, Midway Island, Pearl Harbor, the USS Kitty Hawk and a few others, just not at the same time. I suppose that is why I felt an immediate kinship with him. We had the same experiences during our navy time. James was in the navy long before and after than I was. He enlisted and later became an officer and rose to Lieutenant Commander (highest rank an enlisted man who gets commissioned will ever rise to). He retired while on board the Kitty Hawk in 1973 after I was there and while I was then aboard the Enterprise off the coast of Vietnam. James is a remarkable man and an American who any man should want to emulate. If James passes on, we have lost yet another of the greatest generation. If you would, remember James in your prayers today/tonight.
I do not mean to take away from those who served in Vietnam and the young men who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan at the moment. They too are a great generation, many of them have seen more combat time than most of the World War 2 veterans, but they are few in comparison to the numbers of men in world War 2. I feel that they are not receiving the gratitude that was there in 1945 and that is a shame. The Vietnam combat veterans had a horrid homecoming and all they did was what their country asked them to do.
James’ book is a great story, especially for anyone’s first and only book. It is available in Kindle or paperback on Amazon with this link.
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