About two years ago I went to the Million Vet March on the Mall in Washington DC. You can see my story I published at iOWNTHEWORLD.com that day HERE (thanks to Menderman for posting it at Liveleak.com. I met a woman that day, a veteran of WWII, named Marilouise Kelly. In between my adventures on the Mall that day I spoke with her about her life during the war. Even though I only spent a few minutes with her, it was a time I will never forget.
A while ago I thought about that day, and Marilouise. I decided to try to find out more about her so I searched the internet. I found two stories about her:
This FOX NEWS story is from November, 2013, which highlights Marilouise and her trip to DC (watch HERE).
Marilouise passed away last February, just on month shy of her 98th birthday. This Hampton Bays News article is her obituary (HERE). It seems she lived a blessed life.
RIP Marilouise Kelly. Thank you for protecting my freedom.
IT IS THE SOLDIER
– Charles M. Province, Author
It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.
Bumper sticker:
‘If you can read this, thank a teacher, because it’s in English, thank a soldier’
Thanks for posting this additional excerpt Thumbs up x 1000.
As usual appreciation and thanks is always missing from the left. They will unfortunately for you and me to miss how it is their birthright and their freedoms may have been guaranteed under an old 200 plus year document but backed up by the common US soldier, many of which volunteered to place their life on the line to protect it.
RIP Mari, you were loved and will be missed, there is no greater achievement.
Great post, Jethro – thanks.
A “Veteran” – whether active duty, discharged, retired or Reserve – is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check to “The United States of America” for an amount of “up to & including their life.”
That is an honor & there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand that fact.
This Veterans Day I offer a crisp & correct USMC hand salute to all veterans past, present & future.
Semper Fidelis
Can not add anything to that.
Other then thank you Jethro, again.
Father, still alive turns 90 next April, Army, WWII Battle of the Bulge, wounded. Was interviewed at WWII memorial Two years ago. Losing 492 veterans of WWII a day.
Son, Four tours of middle east Iraq/Afghanistan. Naval Commander, SeaBee. CEC, never been on a Naval Ship.
I am Free
I don’t care if your big job in the Military is peeling potatoes and washing dishes.
I don’t care if you served in combat or not
I don’t care what period you served, from the Revolution to today
You have my utmost respect and gratitude, now and forever.
DH thinks I am a bit strange on Sundays. I buy the San Francisco Chronicle just to read the obituaries. I enjoy reading about people’s lives, and yet it seems like just a few paragraphs doesn’t tell it all. What an honor Jethro to have met such a lady as Marilouise. She lived her life well for the good of mankind. Thank you for sharing and thank you to all the vets as Veterans day approaches.
America is still worth fighting for but kids now are being taught in schools to not even try to defend her, to let 0bama finish his job of taking her down and worship him for his efforts.
The best people on earth are the veterans and active military patriots who put everything on the line to ensure us our freedoms.
God Bless America and the Patriots.
Great story Jethro!
A friend used to say, “Talking about death at the hands of a criminal is only talk until they have their hands around YOUR throat.” It’s going to take a generation who is subjected to real criminal hands at their own throats to understand what they are now helping to bury.