Dear Group, All day today I was reminded of a message I sent in 1997 to the old Penna-Dutch (PD) list regarding Veterans Day and I decided to post it again this year. But before I do, I want to let you know that the dictionary definition(s) of a veteran leans strongly toward "a person who served in the armed forces of a country, especially in time of war." However, the first definition of "veteran" is "old and experienced; long-practiced, esp. in war or military service." And it's in that definition--"experienced . . . in war," that I wrote the following. WE'RE ALL VETERANS I can't believe that I'm writing this at 1:00 in the morning of November 9, 1997! Veteran's day is two days away. However, after I went to bed this evening my mind wouldn't shut down with the thoughts of Veteran's day on Tuesday. You see, Veteran's Day has become only a "token" day for many of us. Yes, I guess, we're reminded that the banks are closed and that in Wednesday's newspapers we'll read about some sort of tribute being made on a local level at the local cemetery or local "statue" with a bunch of old geezers standing at attention in their VFW caps or some such. But what caused me to get out of bed tonight and turn on my computer was a bit of conflicting feelings that kept going through my head. First of all, I am indeed a veteran. Nonetheless, I didn't face actual combat. And I knew that there were members of the PD list who actually served in WWII. And, undoubtedly there are more veterans on the PD list who served in Korea and in Vietnam and in the Gulf War. And I wanted to give a hearty sincere salute to my fellow veterans who have worn the uniform of our country in the defense of our country. But, more than that, what really kept me awake tonight was the realization that most of us have gone through our own agony of our wars. Those of us over 60 remember WWII as children and remember the confusion we faced what with Pearl Harbor and rationing and air raid drills and worrying about whether Daddy or Brother or Uncle would ever come back from the war. Some of them did and some of them didn't. And then came the 50s and the Korean Conflict. It was a different "war," but there were still the same worries. And then Vietnam and then the Gulf "war." And whether we served in uniform during those times or whether we stayed at home as housewives or whether we were "flower children" or whether we protested or whether we eventually suffered unspeakable nightmares over those times, we eventually ended up, in my opinion, as VETERANS of the wars! We all lived through the awful wars of the past--some more "glorious" than others--but, nonetheless, they were wars and we lived through them. Therefore, we are ALL VETERANS! And, as a footnote, I guess, we might be reminded about such feelings in our lives when we stand over the graves of our ancestors where there is a marker that they served in WWI or the Spanish-American War, or the Civil War, or the War of 1812 or the Revolutionary War or the French and Indian War. Yes, they wore their uniforms and so did I, but for the majority of us there were no uniforms. Nonetheless, it didn't take a uniform to let the world know that those who didn't wear one didn't suffer their own agonies of war. And as a current P.S. to the above message. As we are all veterans, so were our families before us--"experienced in war." As Milton said, "They also serve who only stand and wait." vee