I just came in from breakfast at my youngest grandson's elementary school today. His school does this every year in honor of Veterans' Day and it has been, for 10 years when the oldest grandson called me about being his "bet-er-ran" for the event, a Veterans' Day tradition for me and the grandsons. One of my favorite pictures is of me and the two oldest grandsons taken by the school principal about 6 years ago at one of those events.Let me explain the logic behind how The Legend became a Veteran.
From that first race my Uncle Bobby took me to when I was just short of 6 years old, all I ever wanted to do was drive a racecar. Anyone who knew me could tell you of that dream as that was all I ever talked about. No small wonder that the only people who had anything at all to do with me growing up was family and race friends. No one else could have survived the constant conversations about racing (Ann says that's still the same today!!!). So, what did my desire to be a driver have to do with being a Veteran?
I would have been draft age shortly after graduating high school and at that time, 1964, Viet Nam was really getting into high gear. Ever planning ahead in those days, I asked my parents to sign for me to join the Naval Reserve at 17 which they did and I did. It turned out to be much long active duty than the then required two years because I tested very well in several areas and the Navy wanted to send me to one of their schools for special training. So, as it turned out, I went to school for six months, served I think an additional 30 months of active duty aboard the USS Opportune, ARS-41, and then a few weeks shore duty in Charleston, SC. While I was virtually sailing the Carribean, I lost three high school classmates to the war in the jungles, and even on my small ship I had two shipmates lose brothers. I began to feel as if I had taken an easy way out joining the Navy instead of the Marines as I was safely sailing the ocean blue and my friends were being killed and forever changed in that far eastern hell of rice paddies.
After my mother died and we cleaned out her attic, I discovered that she had saved all the letters I had written while I was in the Navy. They started our in the early months pleasant enough as I told about all the sights I was seeing in the Carribean and later in the North Atlantic but towards the end of my time I was getting bitter because of the loss of my friends and the seemingly mundane things I was doing to pass the time away so I could get out and drive race cars. Never occured to me that one day I would be a "Veteran", I just wanted to drive racecars.
I was finally released from active duty in early 1968 and immediately got to work chasing my dream. I put the Navy behind me and had no intention of ever recalling those days. If you recall, from 1968 through the end of the Viet Nam war, it was not cool to be a Veteran. In fact, in my last year of service, we were instructed NOT to leave base in uniform. I guess my feeling of shame at having had such easy duty when Dickie, Jimmy, and Walter had given their lives in 'Nam was not easy for me to handle either. I always silently observed Veterans' Day more in honor of my Daddy's service in WWII than having been a sailor.
Twenty some odd years ago I was expressing those feelings to my minister who is a retired U.S. Army Chaplian. Rev. Clyde Aiken explained exactly what being a Veteran means and so that Veterans' Day when they asked all Veterans to stand in church, I did, for the first time, stand with the others. I have, since that talk with Clyde, realized that all Veterans, regardless of their rank, branch of service, or place of service, did their duty and helped to maintain the freedom of this Country. It is different today, of course, because we have an all-volunteer military. These young men and women accept willingly, without the possibility of the draft, their duty to serve their country. I had breakfast with quite a number of them this morning. I was deeply honored to be in their company.
Half way through breakfast, a young elementary student, dreadlocks hanging shoulder length, came around our table shaking hands with all the Veterans. He came to me and said "my name is Kinard, what's your name?" We exchanged the common pleasantries and then he says "thank you for your service and keeping us free". I was very touched and said to Kinard "thank you and one day it will be your turn". The young man smiled broadly and said "Yes Sir!" Even as I write this my eyes mist a little to see that still there are young men (and women) who realize what freedom costs. Our Veterans have paid this price since 1776. Because our country can still honor those Veterans in such programs as an elementary school breakfast we can hope that the flame of freedom will always be fueled by such men and women on active duty around the world and young Kinard who smiles broadly as his thought of serving.
So, the logic of The Legend was to get the service behind him so he could drive race cars. I did both. I served, and I drove race cars. Twenty years ago a retired Army Chaplain taught me what it meant to be a Veteran and I'm glad he did. As I walked down that hallway to my grandson's classroom this morning, I realized God surely had a hand in the way my life unfolded. While racing was the immediate goal, the overall achievement was that this Veteran has a wonderful wife, a family he loves very much, a country of which he is very proud, and a chance, one a year, to eat the best grits free with other Veterans and their kids or grandkids. Doesn't get much better.
Ok, now that I've spilled the beans on some personal feelings, it's time for me to head out to The Veterans' Day Parade in downtown Columbia. This is the biggest Veterans' Day Parade in the southeast and, I understand, the third largest in the Country. I will, no doubt, choke up a couple times and a few tears may flow from behind those Legend sunglasses when I see the young men and women from Ft. Jackson go marching by, the disabled Veterans being transported by, and see that red, white and blue flag bearing those 50 stars pass by the hundreds. God Bless America will ring out loud and clear and for this one Veteran today that is more a statement of what is happening from above with the request that those blessing continue as they have for 236 years.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:02:57PM
