Dinny, and all of you, I have a tough time with this every year. I served from '61 til '68, and lost a lot of friends and people I had a lot of respect for. Then, there were the many more, wounded, invalided, that still carry the scars. One of my best friends today is one of them. He won't talk about it, but he's 100% disabled out of Nam. It seems the NVA wanted one of his legs, and messed up a large part of the rest of him getting it.
A Marine colonel I Had the honor to work for a brief period, had both legs shot off on his second day there. He was a superb person...a quality person. I doubt he is living, because he was senior when I was a just kid.
I worked in a very special and personal relationship with VADM Ashworth, who in those days was COMSIXTHFLT. I didn't know it at the time, and he never mentioned it, but he was much involved in dumping the two nukes on Japan. He's gone also, and I regret I never thought to contact him until a few months after his death. He was a Hell of a Man.
I could go on an bore you all some more, but these are just a couple of the reasons Veterans Day is kinda tough on me. I lost a lot more buddies.
Pete