Veteran's Day: Remembering Grandpa Raynor & Others Around Me

Ask everyone on my mom's side of the family, and you'll get a lot of the same answers when asked on how to best describe my Grandpa Raynor.

From my memories of him, he was very much to himself, very serious man whose idea of a joke was asking you which hair you got cut when you mentioned that you just got a haircut or telling you that denial was a river.

He often had things go against him, particularly around vacation time. One time, fishing poles in the car were mistaken as guns, as his car got surrounded by law enforcement as we were about to depart for our annual trip to Michigan. Another trip, "The Lugnut" story is remembered by everyone in the family, where a loose lugnut caused hell for Gramps not only in lack of space in the van, but harrassment over the CB radio when random family members would shout "Lugnut" into the device.

However, the one memory I have that sticks with me dates back about 15 or so years ago on this date. Three simple words that I said to my grandpa that forever changed how I think of him.

"Happy Veteran's Day".

Simple words, yes. But very powerful. My grandpa was in the Forgotten War in Korea in the 1950s. It is forgotten in the history books when compared to the wars that surround it. America's consciousness focuses on WWII and Vietnam as the Wars, not so much Korea.

I remember seeing my grandpa smile when I said this as a teenager. He hardly ever smiled.

Which is why I ask this of my readers: Instead of saying a blanket Facebook statement thanking veterans for what they did, do whatever you can to contact them (either on the phone or in person) and thank them in a more personal manner.

People these days don't get enough personal contact with messages like this, so do what you can to contact these people and thank them for their service to our country and not in some distant Facebook status.

Who knows, you may have a Grandpa Raynor moment yourself and make a Veteran smile.

To my Grandpa, Uncle Bob, cousin Tony and all my friends who served, thank you. Whether we agree with the wars that we are in or not, it is our duty to support these folks who fight for America.