Friday, May 8, 2009

64 Years Ago Today

They'd had it so rough for so long. And it wasn't just our fathers and grandfathers...


...it was our mothers and grandmothers as well.


But on May 8, 1945 everything changed.

The headline said it all. It was over. Then it was time to celebrate.

In New York...

...and London...

...and Toronto. And a thousand other places as well.

Then it was time to bring the boys home. Here's my Uncle Willy and My Uncle Russ, home from the ETO.

Then there's this fella. He looks like he's been celebrating a little bit already.


Hiya, John!




Sadly, not all came home and got on with life.

My mother's cousin, Sgt. Howard Lepley, U.S. Army Air Corps. 448th Bomb Group, 714th Bomb Squadron. KIA 6-10-1944 at Evreux, France. He was only 20.



Bing Crosby once sang,


Bless 'em all, bless 'em all,
The long, and the short, and the tall,
Bless all the sergeants, and the top kickers too
Bless all the corporals...bless you,
For we're saying goodbye to them all,
As up the gangway we crawl,
No ice cream or cookies for stout-hearted rookies,
So cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.



Today is VE-DAY. Don't forget, thank a Vet!

1 comment:

June said...

The day had gotten away from me what with all my goings-ons of late. Thanks for the lovely post to re-mind me!