No words can describe! Warning for all you tough guys you may not want to watch!

I have tremendous respect for our men and women in the armed forces.  My parents lived on the wrong end of the war (japan) during WW2.  One of my moms favorite stories was waiting for death on the beach as she watched amphibian units landing.  It was an all black unit apparently and it was the first time she had seen a real black man.  The first soldier to reach her patted her on the head and gave her food.  No death, but perhaps by chocolate 

They deserve so much more.  More money, more respect and better leaders from both sides of the spectrum.  Thanks Frank

Are your parents Okinawan?

Thank you for the reminder....Politically right or left, this is a video that everyone should watch. Being a principal for elementary schools for the last 15 years I have had the honor of getting to know many families over the years, I have watch dads, moms, sons, daughters, aunts etc... go off to war, sad, I have known many families that will not, or did not get to come home to their loved ones for the hug...that pain is one I do not wish on anyone. I am okay saying the joy of watching families reunited was almost too much to watch; however, I made myself watch until I could not any more. God bless the men and women who serve (or have served) our country. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Each year the school's where I have been principal we have a Veteran's Day sing along and invite a veteran to come speak to us. One of our teachers shares the John McCains story. Each year I ask the students in the audience who has someone in the famility serving our country. The response is huge. Later the students always come up to me and share who and where they serve.  You would be surprised how many families are tied to the men and women who serve our country. Once again, I saluate you who have served or serve.

Thank you for the reminder....Politically right or left, this is a video that everyone should watch. Being a principal for elementary schools for the last 15 years I have had the honor of getting to know many families over the years, I have watch dads, moms, sons, daughters, aunts etc... go off to war, sad, I have known many families that will not, or did not get to come home to their loved ones for the hug...that pain is one I do not wish on anyone. I am okay saying the joy of watching families reunited was almost too much to watch; however, I made myself watch until I could not any more. God bless the men and women who serve (or have served) our country. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Each year the school's where I have been principal we have a Veteran's Day sing along and invite a veteran to come speak to us. One of our teachers shares the John McCains story. Each year I ask the students in the audience who has someone in the famility serving our country. The response is huge. Later the students always come up to me and share who and where they serve.  You would be surprised how many families are tied to the men and women who serve our country. Once again, I saluate you who have served or serve.

Any of those who serve their country listened in the class room to the values of our forefather's and even those who came before them. Our social order wasn't brought about by dialog, history has proven that. Patrick Henry, "Give me Liberty or Give Me Death" holds true today as it did then. I love people who just talk it for they stand on the backbone of those who freely gave them the right to do so.
I was hoping that this post would help those who like me for years stood silent, knowing that we did our service. However that silence lead to other things for me that I keep private and only share with those who have served and understand that in serving their is a cost to the individual.
DrDave, Thank You for your service to those who have served. Guys like me really appreciate it. These type of activities help one to regain their faith and even overcome the depths of the unwanted trauma associated with it.
Also a challenge to our NCKA volunteer's. Don Danglin is setting up another H.O.W. event hopefully at Del Valle in Oct. Several of us who have had success at that lake (catching) will be organizing a clinic on how to catch fish there so we can put these Vets on the fish. It will be one date and one time only. Keep this video in mind if you volunteer to be there because these are the one's who came back whole in body.
Sincerely, Frank

Thanks for the link Frank.  What an awesome video!  It brought tears on my eyes (must be dirts got into my eyes)   

Had to wait a bit and make sure I was tough enough to watch....  

 Fail...

 Thanks Frankie, and thanks for the " Mentoring Offer " for a lake that has been challenging to me....

Really Moving video and also brings home the point of not only are the Men and Women of the Service Sacrificing, but so are their Significant others.

The Challenges that All of the Family members face as their Hero comes back to them are Immense...

 We all know what kayakfishing has done for us, for me, it has changed my life and given me an outlet that has made the everyday challenges of life, a different focus that have been of the positive.

Having the Camaraderie, Friendship and adventures that this sport has given me has been a life saver.

We here at NCKA are in a Unique situation to do some Very Important work with the Heroes on The Water program...

I have already talked about what it's doing for the Vets to Relax, Rehabilitate and Regenerate...

 but we also offer a " Forum " to interact and become involved with us as a community to help them transition back to civilian life.

It is my hope that we also have the capabilities to include the wives and children as we progress, for they need all the help they can get too.

Hope not to Threadjack here, but just want ya all to know we have a chance here to do some really Great things...

  

Heart warming! More people should see this video 

Hope not to Threadjack here, but just want ya all to know we have a chance here to do some really Great things...

Thread Jack away partner.....Those tearing smiling faces that welcome their hero back will in a few weeks, months or years start to realize that their Hero's have brought home something unwanted in their lives. Transference of P.T.S.D. It happened to my family with the service that my Father did during WWII as I am sure that it did happen to all to many of those in our history weather the Revolution to the present.
 Viet Nam vets were dieing by the score and by their own hands. Not in combat but when they came home. Well guess what! It's happening again with these troops coming home. H.O.W. can and has made a difference in individual cases. And we can make a difference by volunteering for this event. NCKA vets stand up and make a difference for those coming home as you did. You may come out of this with an awareness that will last a life time for you and your family. I for one, am tired of the silence and immobile isolation that kept me from experiencing life with the silent mantra, "Well I did my duty". So I invite and challenge those who are on the fence about this. Especially you who are Vets..... I didn't win a kayak at the last H.O.W. event but something else that has made me an advocate for programs like this, " Gratitude" .    

I have tremendous respect for our men and women in the armed forces.  My parents lived on the wrong end of the war (japan) during WW2.  One of my moms favorite stories was waiting for death on the beach as she watched amphibian units landing.  It was an all black unit apparently and it was the first time she had seen a real black man.  The first soldier to reach her patted her on the head and gave her food.  No death, but perhaps by chocolate 

They deserve so much more.  More money, more respect and better leaders from both sides of the spectrum.  Thanks Frank

Are your parents Okinawan?

no, full blooded Japanese.  And Mom loved Hershey's chocolate for the rest of her days.  Coke was another story...

Beautiful.

And those are the lucky ones. God save the families who watched a box come home. Thanks for the vid Frank. My son-in law was in Iraq and my nephew was in Iraq and my other nephew is in Fucking Afghanistan now. Mission accomplished my ass.

Mission accomplished my ass.

Yeah and I fly jets...

Frank, I want to apologise for my negativity. I worried everyday for my family members that  were and are still in the conflict. I loved your vid that you put up. I lived those tears of joy. My nephew that is there now is the one I used to take trout fishing when he was just  a wee lad. I love that kid with all my heart. Send one out for Preston Briggs if you get a chance.Hes a jar head and he loves it.I just want him home, safe.

Frank, I want to apologise for my negativity. I worried everyday for my family members that  were and are still in the conflict. I loved your vid that you put up. I lived those tears of joy. My nephew that is there now is the one I used to take trout fishing when he was just  a wee lad. I love that kid with all my heart. Send one out for Preston Briggs if you get a chance.Hes a jar head and he loves it.I just want him home, safe.

You got it. Special delivery!

Thank you, Frank.  I made it through on two (saturated) Kleenex.  Porky's right - if this doesn't move you you're dead.

Frank - I hear what you're saying and am very glad that you are able to experience important and needed growth and healing after all this time, but I want you to know that I have always known you to be a kind person.  What I mean to say is, although you're expressing that you have held in some troubling aspects of your past, you have done a great job of being a wonderfully supportive and warm person.  I salute you and all who serve or have served our country.  "It's all about the caring and the sharing."      (make that 3 Kleenex...)

This was sent to me by a Japanese female friend who's parents lived through the era of WWII. So I am just passing it on.
Black Ab thanks for the kind words make that four kleenex