I just got off the phone with Josh, my son.  He came by and ate supper with us and before supper was over Brandon, Terry’s son called and said he is coming home this weekend.  After supper I texted Brandon and told him that when he gets here leftovers are in the refrigerator and I made a pitcher of sweet tea for him also.  After talking to the both of them I told them to call us if they need us.  When I was coming home tonight I called Terry to let him know I was heading this way.  As I was coming home, a friend from work texted me to wish me a wonderful weekend.  Before we sat at the table to eat supper another friend called me to see if I was home for the weekend and to let me know what her doctor’s appointment consisted of.  I am so thankful for the new technology that we live in today with cell phones.  Some people argue and say that they wish they weren’t tied to their phones but I find them so nice.  I love being assessable to Josh and Brandon, to my husband, to my friends and just a phone call away if I need any kind of help while out in the field.  As I said, I am so thankful for my cell phone.  If I am lost I can pull up GPS and find my way out with the most updated information. 

Terry has been watching a show on the History Channel about the Vietnam War.  Tonight it is 1969 which is the year he was there and is showing the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam.  That is where he was stationed in the rivers on a ship. The beginning of the show said only 35% supported the war at this time. Thank you Anti-War movement.  I don’t know why the United States treated these young men with such disrespect when they were doing nothing more than what our soldiers today are doing.  Fighting in a war. 

The music is really good and right now they are showing Woodstock.  A Veteran is talking about coming home on leave to Bethel New York.  He couldn’t figure out why all the cars and people were at this small sleepy town in the Catskills.  He said he went to the concert and he felt like he belonged in the midst of all these people and then the day after Woodstock he was back in Vietnam. I can’t imagine. 

As I am seeing this show I remember when Donnie Jones was killed in Vietnam during the early 60’s.  His mom was the head cook at our school and her name was Dolly.  I remember how sad and scared I was when I found out.  I was very young, maybe 2^nd grade, in grade school and didn’t fully understand what this war consisted of.  I remember when my parents would be watching the nightly news and they would talk about guerilla warfare and I thought a bunch of gorillas were fighting.  I also remember when it was announced that we were pulling out of Vietnam.  I was in high school and in Home Ec class when someone had told us.  It wasn’t our teacher; it was someone that was there for some type of special presentation.  I remember we cheered in our class and also remember the feeling of relief that this madness was at the end.  As long as I could remember, we were in war and the United States had become an emotional turmoil. 

Another memory came up, Ben Daughtery was in our 4^th grade class and when his dad came home from Vietnam he came to talk to us in his uniform.  That was really cool too, plus Ben was the cousin of one of my friends, Lenora Moran.  Ben and his parents lived next door to Lenora and her parents.  It’s funny how different things bring up memories while you are watching a show. 

There was one thing that came out of the Vietnam War that has been a life saver for us today and that is Life Flight helicopters. That is a bi-product from Vietnam and we didn’t have them until that era.   

Well, needless to say this show is really, really good and it brings back memories of an era that I grew up in.  It brings back so many good and bad memories along with different emotions. 

Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day, 11-11-11.  What are you going to do to thank a Vet???