Monday, November 10, 2003

VETERAN'S DAY-MY DAD-1940-1943

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY-DADDY!!! The picture above is my father in 1940 when he went into the Marines to fight in WWII. My father does not talk about that time at all....I have only picked up bits and pieces of the garbage he went through being in the marines..and the philosophy of fighting. My father is Puerto Rican..that should mean nothing...but apparently in 1940 in the armed services it did. My father faced ALOT of prejudice from those that he was serving with and under. The rules were different for different "ethnic" groups..sad but true. I have a hand full of my father's medals and ribbons...I have only two pictures of him in the marines..and very lil information. I guess during this time..my father was thought of as part of a quota..and if the armed services already helped a handful of "minorities" that was the quota..they refused to help any others. I may sound like I am bitter but honestly I am not...I do not like injustice against anyone.. but it kills me when people have no respect for those that have served in the armed forces (or are doing it now) forgetting that they are protecting a nation full of free people. My father was very proud to serve his country...but hurt how he was treated. He is now going to be 80 in december and is quite ill. It sounds like a sore subject-but my father has planned ahead for when he passes away..but myself and the rest of the family want him to have his military burial honors due him for being a VET...so right now we are fighting the system...it is sad that it takes so long for someone in government to say okay-we will take care of it. It took my father over 8 years of red tape to get permission to be buried in the military cementary in this state. But the honors do not automatically come with it. What a system. I guess my point is..I will keep fighting the system and you all today THANK A VET..and let them know their fight was worth it. They just might need to hear it!!!   PEACE!!!!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

what a sweet daughter you are! I know your father is very proud of you!

Anonymous said...

Ellie, My dad served in WW2 also and getting information on his time served was like pulling teeth. The most I know ... he was a commander in the US Navy and worked in Intelligence. Mmm, not a lot to go on. Thank-You Veterans and current men and women in the service!
Smilin Mon

Anonymous said...

My dad too was in the service for 22+ years and to this day I thank him for it. For it was because I was rasied in the service, I learned that there was no room for prejudice. We moved from place to place and always thankful to make new friends. But then I was a child and I didn't grow up in the separation of races. I was nieve to the race riots because they just didn't make sense to me. People were people and skin was skin and I was color-blind to race and thank god, still am. Lanny

Anonymous said...

Thanks for thestory on your father. I myself served in Vietnam, Somolia and the first Gulf War. My Dad was in WWII. The prejudices didnt really stop until the late 70's. You need to fight for the honors. john