Veteran's Corner

‘Twas yet another interrupted late April night dreaming of the month of May’s possible encounter with the King of the forest, the American Tom turkey. A bird folklore states Ben Franklin nominated it as our national emblem. Not true, though I believe Tom is a worthy runner-up. I do agree with the lore regarding Ben’s beer proclamation.

This is directly related to long term lock-down of small businesses and public education that I wrote about a few months ago, when I wrote of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its effect on the military, health care workers and civilians experiencing constant, unending stress. 

Nope, it’s not a “Star Wars” movie about Luke Skywalker defending us from the Galactic Empire, but rather the story of a modern-day hero who organized and assembled a precise and what I consider successful offensive to destroy a brutal invading virus unleashed by a foreign land.

Most of us have added to the ingredients of a cauldron of simmering political, racial and social stew over the past 10 years. A stew mostly overlooked and ignored until it boiled over on Jan. 6, that manifested over the past four years of the Trump administration. That administration’s agenda led to an extreme racial divide. 

On this post-election morning, I am retiring my worn and tattered American flag, which has served its purpose flying proudly and honorably for more than a year representing freedom and the ideals this nation was founded upon. It is now folded into 13 precise triangles, but it will never be forgotten. 

This year has dealt us a medley of tragedy, hope, despair, optimism, pessimism, distrust, social divide, compassion, caring, hatred, intolerance, suffering and heroism — it’s been an eye opener to the evil that exists in this world. A virus was unleashed upon us from another land, though it denies such charges.

Good day patriotic news readers, I’d like to share with you a story of a WWI four-legged hero from this Tri-state area named “Stubby.” A small mongrel dog who went to war with his adoptive troops and came back a decorated hero. 

There are a number of civilian and military oriented organizations out there soliciting funds for various causes. My choice organization is the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, created by Frank Siller to honor his brother Stephen, an off duty FDNY (Fire Department of New York) firefighter who on Sept.