Blog Author
Michael Fitzgerald
Related Content- Two brave lives teach us to cherish every breathOver the last 14 months, two young people dying from cystic fibrosis, a disease that slowly decays the lungs, took their one chance to avert implacably advancing suffocation. […]
- Stockton area needs more than clock towerDowntown Stockton's east end is a forgotten city. It's almost as if there's an unspoken agreement to ignore it. […]
- City's burning question: Fire or policeIt's chaos out there," declared Councilwoman Susan Eggman. […]
- Two brave lives teach us to cherish every breath
We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment.
Veterans Day: A time to listen
In my early years as a columnist, I seldom let a Vererans Day or Memorial Day go by without talking to veterans. Patriotism was a secondary motive for this practice. The primary motive is that veterans’ stories are incredible. If, by telling them, we thank them for their service, so much the better.
After a decade or so, however, I began to give veterans a pass. I had a “been there, done that” feeling about it. But when the wife of today’s subject contacted me, she mentioned one fact that compelled me to return to coverage of veterans: her husband, Mr. Cain, is 91.
Cain’s story, while strong and worthy, is far from the strongest I have done. Talk to a Guadalcanal Marine the next time you want strong. But the point is soon we won’t have the choice to talk to them or give their stories a pass. They will be gone. The time to listen is now.