On Veterans Day I often think of my grandfather Beldon Reynolds. Recently my mother was going through old papers and she came across a letter that my grandmother Virginia Reynolds wrote to me in January of 1989 upon hearing that I was enlisting in the Army. In the letter she says encouraging things, and shares news from home. Then she reminds me that when my grandfather was drafted into WWII, all four of his brothers had been drafted already. He was married, had two children, and was in his late 20s. She wrote that both of her brothers were drafted also. Seven young men just from their two families. A staggering number. As the WWII generation passes on these things fade into distant memory. Its hard to imagine isnt it? A war so threatening to our survival and the survival of our allies that we would draft entire families into service? Those were troubled times indeed. Its worth reflecting on the magnitude of the sacrifices our forebears made so we could live in peace. Its worth considering if we have done well or poorly with what they gave us. And its worth contemplating what we are willing to do to ensure those who follow us have the same opportunities.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 03:43:42 +0000
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