Veterans day and Happy Birthday to the U.S. Marine Corps

I was just about to blog Veterans Day, November 11 (which is also known in Great Britain and Europe as Armistice Day) and the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, November 10th, when I received the following from my good friend Jerry, a true patriot and also a Vietnam Veteran. He says it so much better than I can:

While this list of VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE doesn't come close to the
extensive list in my head and heart.... all of those since my earliest
memories, from the WW 1 Veterans who, with their crude prosthetic
devices and gas seared lungs, came home and dug coal, put down endless
miles of railroad, harvested an unimaginably massive hardwood forest,
layed the foundation for the industrial revolution and in their own
best ways dealt with their many demons right here in little old Buchtel
and many, many other such places, right up to and including todays best
and brightest..... it IS a respectful attempt to bestow HONOR AND
DIGNITY TO ALL who have stood tall and still do today when their country
calls. It is a modest and heartfelt effort to simply THANK THOSE who
offered it all.... left their families far behind; risked their lives
and yes, even worse; to keep our home on track of becoming the finest,
freest, most emulated, loved and feared nation in the short history of
modern man. No other nation has ever offered such promise, realized the
coming true of so many dreams, or stood ready to defend such great
ideals as has and done the United States of America. "THANKS" TO ALL WHO
WEAR THE TITLE, "VETERAN". GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES,
AS YOU HAVE INDEED MADE AND HAVE KEPT IT ALL POSSIBLE !! AND,TO THE
FEW, THE PROUD, THE UNITED STATES MARINES, " HAPPY BIRTHDAY" .....
SEMPER FIDELIS !!! SULLY

A musical tribute to our military branches