I can't remember when I did not spend this day listening to the Radio for the Indy 500 and then tuning in the radio or T.V. for the charlotte 600 Nascar race.
But time has changed. The pageantry no longer seems to be monitored or if it exists at all. Indy was the premier open wheel race, but open wheel then was largely owner driver built vehicles with some of them purpose built flat track asphalt cars and others with dirt track cars with a tire change. Speeds are now up where an Air Bus lands and drivers more or less point them and hope they stay on the ground. And they are built by Honda or Chevy and drivers are hired.
And NASCAR is no better with a Spec car that differs only from the other by a paint job and the lettering saying what engine is in it and the engines? Are also purpose built spec series engines.
The pageantry just does not seem to be there and the cars so fast the race seems to be over by the time you get back from a munchies run to the kitchen.
But I still watch it. Old habits die hard.
Have a good day and remember the men and women who in the past gave their lives to protect our ability to enjoy a day like this. And then again those men and women sent currently being sent to an environment that seems to be more of a police action that in my opinion we never should have been involved in, but they still go carrying with them the commitment to do the best they can and while there are our ambassadors.
God Bless

 

The last time I sat down and watched a whole race was when Al Unser Jr. and Dale Sr. was driving. It's just not had the appeal, the story to hook me anymore. It has pageantry still, the parade of sponsors you have to sit through whenever a driver is interviewed.
I saw an old man with his wife at the local DQ the other day. He had a WWII vet hat on. I went out of my way to thank him and tell him that I'm enjoying my day because of his and his buddy's sacrifices. He told me I was the first in a long time to recognize not just him, but all the others who didn't make it back for us to thank. It touched him greatly.
I'm glad I made his day, because for some of our veterans, they don't have too many left.

 

I am grateful for the actions and the unfortunate sacrifices that our all of our veterans have made in the past to ensure that our country's basic tenets remained in place.

I am also grateful for the current military veterans-to-be; like Unc, I may not agree with the deployments of our troops in various areas of the world, but I support the soldiers of our armed forces. Their end goals may be unobtainable, but that does not stop them from trying.

I can't discuss this topic without acknowledging the toll PTSD has taken on our deployed armed forces. It seems that only recently has the American government begun to take this seriously.

Of course I was not alive during most of the wars in the last century, but my parents' generation was one that simply didn't discuss a whole lot. Period. I have no doubt that many soldiers suffered with the effects of PTSD for the remainder of their lives because they were afraid to admit that they could not handle the the thoughts inside their heads. Mental replays of things so horrid I cannot conceive nor do I want to. Doctors of the day likely knew little of the condition, so coming forward probably got you sent to a psychiatrist who prescribed heavy anti-hallucination medication in the hopes that the veteran's "hallucinations" would cease. Reliving a horrible experience is NOT a hallucination.

PTSD was not officially recognized as a psychiatric disorder until 1980.

1980.

That's a whole lot of suffering gone by. It makes me sick to thing of the 10s of 1,000s that lived out their lives reliving the most horrific moments of their existence.

Having been recognized, the disorder is at least discussed and some veterans are willing to seek help to deal with the aftereffects of their service for our country.

But there undoubtedly many out there who continue to suffer in silence; afraid they will be seen as "weak" by their fellow veterans.

If you know any of these silent sufferers----please lend a hand in finding them treatment, for until all of our military personnel are cared for both during and AFTER their service to this country, this country is letting our Veterans down. And quite frankly it makes me sick.

To all those that served, thank you.
To all those currently serving, thank you.