For our Country's Heroes...

My Gramma Gen instilled a deep sense of patriotism in me from an early age. It wasn't necessarily in the things she said to me, but rather in how she conducted herself at various times of the year. Memorial Day, Flag Day and Veteran's Day were important days to her. She would sell poppies each year and if people didn't buy those sweet, little red, papery flowers, she would give them away and donate her own money for each one herself. That, most likely, was quite a hardship on her, because she lived modestly on a limited income, drawing wages from the drapes she would meticulously sew for my Dad's drapery business.

I remember, as a child, I asked her what the poppies were all about, and she told me the money went to hospital work and relief. It wasn't until many, many years later, long after my Gramma had passed away, that I began to understand what it all really meant to her.

You see, she had two brothers, Harry and Bernard Kelly, who served during World War I and a son, Robert Holmes, who served during World War II. She was one of the fortunate who didn't lose her brothers or son to a war. She paid homage to their dedicated service to our country by involving herself fully in the Ladies Auxiliary - Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 847... so much so, that she even sat as President of the Henry S. Bloomberg Auxiliary between 1943 - 44.

Now, my Gramma Gen was a humble woman and was never known for sounding her own trumpet, so it came as quite a surprise when I found a scrapbook she had kept with every, single Superior Evening Telegram newpaper clipping about her involvement in the VFW Auxiliary. It was lovingly kept in order of events for that year and then, no doubt, she tucked it away and went on supporting our service men, year after year, selling those pretty little poppies.

Today, someone told me they were ashamed of our country - The United States of America; this beautiful country and it's people who have been courageously protected by the men and women of the United States Armed Forces during too many wars and conflicts and times of peace; this grand Land of the Free that millions call home.

I take offense to that statement, so easily bandied about, by people who are intolerant of our elected officials. Surely, this person was not taking into consideration what day we will commemorate this weekend, but also of all the fine warriors of our great country, past, present and future.  Yes, that statement offended me greatly, and in answer, I would simply say to people who feel that way... "YOU should be ashamed of YOURSELF".  xxxJBDxxx