Veterans Day...a day to honor, a day to remember, a day to talk about

Veterans_Day- all the kids that goto Public school are getting this day off.  Do they know why?  Do we remember why?
Both father and father-in-law served.  Both my grandfathers served.  Some of Dan's Uncles served.  (Family reading this please post more info other other family members who served).

My pop-pop served in World War II...John T. Keichline, Technical Sergeant, 93rd Signal Battalion.  These are some of his words from his story... "I enlisted in the Army at New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 2, 1942.  From there, I was sent to Fort Monmouth, NJ for basic training.  Then sent to Camp Crower, Missouri, where I attended Radio Operators School.  Also joined the 93rd. Signal Battalion.  After training at Camp Crowder, our battalion was sent to the Dessert Training Center, Camp Young, California, close to Indio.  We Maneuvered there for 10 months, thinking that we were going to Africa.  April, 1944, the 93. Signal battalion arrived in England.
The big day came, in April 1944, we boarded a train at Indio and started our journey east to New York city.  Thoughts of families, wives and sweethearts were foremost in everyones' minds.  It was a rather quiet bunch of G.I.'s, as we rolled through the plain states, into the midwest and east, through souther New York state to the city of our farewell.  The was our last day on U.S. soil there at the pier in N.Y.C. and no turning around now.  This was it.
The English captain and his crew were waiting as we walked up the gang plank onto the Queen Elizabeth and what looked like the lobby of a huge hotel.  It was hard to believe that this was really a ship.  What a strange paradox!  This beautiful luxury liner sailing into hell.
.....Gradually, the coast of Normandy appeared.  We kept getting closer and closer until we could make out a lot of ships and supplies piled up on the beach.  It was Utah beach, July 27 and we knew this was going to be the beginning.  We drove out radio truck off the LST onto metal tracks that took us onto land.  When we parked everyone was looking around and wondering.

The stories and letters bring to life moments that we can not start to understand.  We can only close our eyes and envision what hollywood has created.  These men that served....they close their eyes and relive what they have experienced, heard, saw, smelled, tasted and touch.
















To all the men and women who have, who are, and who will serve our country, for our freedom....thank you.