World of Warcraft®

A thread of thank yous and the like is already up in General. I know plenty of folks on CC are either veterans themselves, or else close to those who served. I put this thread out for us to tell stories of those who are close to us, and changed or positively effected our lives.

Fort Knox, Kentucky, played a large part of who I am today. I have friends I made there back in '02 who I'm still friends with, today. Not all of those I learned basic soldiering with are still with us. It's a fact that opens my eyes every day.

The Cavalrymen's Poem

Halfway down the trail to Hell,
In a shady meadow green
Are the Souls of all dead troopers camped,
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell
The Infantry are seen.
Accompanied by the Engineers,
Artillery and Marines,
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen
Dismount at Fiddlers' Green.

Though some go curving down the trail
To seek a warmer scene.
No trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he's emptied his canteen.
And so rides back to drink again
With friends at Fiddlers' Green.

And so when man and horse go down
Beneath a saber keen,
Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee
You stop a bullet clean,
And the hostiles come to get your scalp,
Just empty your canteen,
And put your pistol to your head
And go to Fiddlers' Green.

Thank you all for service. We are deeply indebted to our veterans and grateful.

I know at the least your son served us, Gen. Maybe give us a story of some sort? Give folks here a better idea of the sacrifices, aside from risk of life, that veterans go through in their duty.

I will try to write something up in a bit. Yes, Will, my youngest son served and my father.