On Thursday, 6 June, we should remember that 80 years ago thousands of young Americans hit the shores of France, or they dropped in behind the lines to secure bridges and lines of communication. This was one of the greatest events of the entire WWII and it was the beginning of the end for the German Forces. It also led to the end of the war in Europe. We should never forget the bravery of these warriors. Remember! Also remember that American Legion Post 290 meets at 7 PM at Vet Hall.

Friday, 14 June is also a very important day. It is the Birthday of the United States Army, our senior service. Created in 1775, the Army now has over one million members and 800,000 Reserve and National Guard soldiers. Happy Birthday Army!!!

14 June is also Flag Day. Fly your flags high!!

Do not forget that Sunday, 16 June is Father’s Day. Take the Old Man out for a beer. Or if you are a father, go buy yourself one or two.
Summer 2024 begins on Thursday, 20 June. Remember also that our VFW Post 2933 has a meeting at Vet Hall at 7 PM. Come to the meeting. Join your fellow Vets.

School is out. Enjoy the Summer and take your family on a nice vacation. Have a wonderful summer.

The very first day of the month is 1 May. That day is known as Loyalty Day. This is a day that was started to counter the old Soviet Union who held their May Day celebrations on 1 May. This day has ancient origins in Europe and it is generally thought of as the beginning of Summer. It falls about halfway between the Spring and the Fall Solstice.

You need to really remember Sunday, 12 May. It is Mother’s Day. Do not forget this very important day. Go buy a card and some flowers.

Armed Forces Day is on Saturday, 18 May. It is a day to remember the Armed Forces of our country, especially those branches of the service that people served in. It honors those who are serving and those who have served.

At the end of the month is a very important day that we should always remember. Memorial Day. It is observed on the last Monday of the month (May 27). This day is not one to have a picnic or to go to the beach. It is a day to remember and honor those members of the Armed Service who have given their lives in the service of their country. Go to a local cemetery and place a flower or a small flag on the grave of a departed veteran. Take your family with you. Always remember these departed veterans…

April is a very important month and I will tell you why. The 1st is April Fool Day. You remember it as a kid. It is still a good day to pull a stunt on someone. Go ahead and do it!! Good for a few laughs…

Saturday, 6 April is Army Day. Why? I don’t know why but it is. Go Army, Beat Navy!

Tuesday, 9 April is National Former POW Recognition Day. Remember these guys and gals. They had a rough time and they deserve a little recognition. Remember that the Persian Gulf War Official Cease Fire was on 11 April 1991. Thank a vet that served in this War. 11 April is also my 43rd Wedding Anniversary. Thanks to Sandy for putting up with me for that many years. She is a warrior!

You better get going on your Federal Income Taxes. Monday, 15 April is coming up quickly. Don’t get caught with your paperwork in a mess. If it is, call a good man, Randy Van Camp, CPA. He will help you out. And he is a good Veteran of the Somalia Campaign.

Arbor Day is Friday, 26 April. Go plant something. Create some shade. You will not regret it a few years down the road.

Have a great April 2024. This truly is one of the best months of the year.

There is one very good thing about Winter… Spring is just around the corner. And Spring this year is Wednesday, 20 March. Five days earlier was the 15th. Why is the 15th important? Because in these parts, that is the last day that you will have to worry about a freeze. Usually. Since 1987 I can only remember one time that we had a freeze in late March. Go buy some plants and get them in the ground.

Back up just a little to Sunday, 10 March. “Spring forward”. Turn your watches and clocks ahead by one hour. Daylight savings begins.

Military news: The Iraq War began on 19 March in the year 2003. Hard to believe that it has been 21 years ago. Those Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen and Marines did a great job. Congratulate them.

The Kosovo Campaign began on 24 March in 1999 and the Somalia Campaign ended on 31 March in 1995. Thanks to all those warriors who served in these conflicts.

Very Important day: Friday, 29 March. National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Thank a Vietnam Vet. It is also Good Friday. Have a great March.

Unbelievable, but true! Another entire year has come and gone. As we age it seems as if time really starts to fly. Let’s see what January 2024 brings us.

The first day of the year is on Monday. That starts the year off on a good foot. Get up and get going. This is the year that will be very, very important for all of us. Do we continue with four more years of our current president or do we go in a very different direction? Only time will tell.

Deer season ends on Sunday, 7 January in Central and North Texas. You can go at least one more weekend. What are you waiting for? Get out there and get a deer or turkey. If you hunt in South Texas, you can still hunt until 21 January. Go South young man!!

We still have a few more cold months ahead of us so watch the weather close. The next couple of months usually bring some of the coldest weather of the year. Keep watching the news and take good care of your outside plants. Be ready to bring them in or cover them up. Pray for 15 March. That is the date of the last freeze around here. Every now and then we might get caught but you will usually be safe from a freeze around the Ides of March.

I may be wrong but I believe that 2024 is the 30th year anniversary of the founding of VFW Post 2933 and American Legion Post 290. We started the two posts with 25 members each in about 1994. We were young vets back then and we still had a lot of World War II and Korean War veterans. Those were our heroes, and they still are. We may have one WWII guy left in the posts. I think that our Korean vets are all gone. Thank God for the men and women that stepped up and defended their country in those two terrible wars.

I hope and pray that this will be a very good year for all of us or at least most of us. 2024-Bring it on!!

Thus begins the last month of the year of 2023. Hard to believe that the year is coming to a close. Lots going on in December though. Let’s get after it.

On the 5th of December in 1992 the Somalia Campaign began. It was on TV, and everyone watched the U S Marines go ashore. The big thing that stands in my mind, years later, is the 2001 movie “Black Hawk Down”. If you saw this movie, you will remember the action that was taken to get our warriors out of a terrible situation in the downtown Capital of Somalia, Mogadishu on 3-4 Oct. 1993. This battle took the lives of 18 U S soldiers. Not long after this fight the U S Forces were pulled out in 1994 and Somalia descended into chaos for several years. Always remember those brave soldiers and Marines that served in Somalia.

December 7th is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. A very important date. 82 years ago, this battle started the United States on a long difficult road into World War II. I believe that there is only one sailor that survived this battle that is still left alive. He has to be at least 100 years old. This battle started the largest buildup of U S Forces in history. Over 16 million men and women served during WWII. They deserve our gratitude. The next day, on 8 December 1941, the United States declared war on Japan. Just a few days later, on 11 December, Germany and Italy declared war on the U. S. Many of our fathers started their military careers very shortly thereafter.

The National Guard was established on 13 December in the year 1636. Several Militia Regiments were formed. It was called the Militia back then and is now 387 years old. Happy Birthday.

In 2011 the Iraq War ended on 15 December. We give thanks to all our veterans who served. You are to be congratulated for your service. We have many Iraq veterans and we are very proud of their service.

On the 20th of December there are two things to remember. The Panama Campaign started in 1989. We have one or two Panama veterans. Thank you for your service. Get in, do your job, and then get out. That is the way to fight! Then we need to remember the Establishment of the U S Space Force in 2019. Four years old. They are our newest branch of the service. Welcome and thank you for your service.

To change the subject a little, we need to remember that Winter of 2023 starts on Friday, 22 December. Maybe you can start wearing a few winter clothes now. Probably not. Remember that deer season is still going on. Get back out there and get a Big Buck!

Let’s end this up with a couple of things. Christmas is here on Monday, 25 December. You know this. I hope that you remembered to get your Honey a nice gift. And finally, the official end of WWII was on 31 December 1946. Also, the Kosovo Campaign ended in 2013. Do we have any Kosovo Vets? I am not sure.

The end of the year 2023. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cooler weather is starting to come in, I hope. I also hope that you bought your Texas Hunting License for 2023-24 because deer season starts on Saturday, 4 November. You need to be ready. You should be at the lease right now and not sitting around the house reading blogs! Get going.

Not a hunter? Well, here is some news. Sunday, 5 November is the end of Daylight Savings for this year. You should have turned back your clocks at midnight on Saturday night. Oh well, go ahead and do it now. We will wait.

Don’t forget that Election Day is on Tuesday, 7 November. Go vote! Remember to vote for the RIGHT person(s).

At the end of the week there are two very important days to remember. Friday, 10 Nov, is the 248th Birthday of one of the finest fighting forces that the world has ever known, the United States Marine Corps. And they have the best uniforms also. If you see a Marine, thank him/her for their service. Buy them a beer. They are Warriors, one and all.

On the 21st of November 1983 the Granada Campaign ended. It just started four weeks earlier. Those guys who served in this action got in, took care of business, and then got out. They are to be thanked for their service. They did an excellent job. All actions should be like this. Get your job done and go home to a grateful nation. Thanks to all of our Granada Vets.

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, 23 November. Hope that you got a turkey while at your deer lease. Have a great day with your family and friends. We really do have a lot to be thankful for in the great nation. We are very lucky people to have been born and raised in the good old USA!

This month starts off with the Afghanistan War. It started on 7 October way back in 2001. Remember that was right after the World Trade Center towers were destroyed and a plane hit the Pentagon. 2,977 Americans were killed in NYC, including 343 firefighters, 184 were killed at the Pentagon and 40 were killed in Pennsylvania. A sad day in the USA. The Afghanistan War would continue on for over 20 years. About 2,450 military members died in Afghanistan.

Do we even celebrate Columbus Day anymore? If you do, then it is on Monday 9 October. The actual day is really 12 October, but we moved it to a Monday holiday.

A really important date is 13 October 1775. This is the date of the establishment of the United States Navy. 248 years of Naval History. We want to honor all of our men and women who have served proudly in the Navy. The Navy is pretty important you know. How would the Marines get to war if it were not for the Navy. All kidding aside, our Navy is pretty large. Its combined tonnage is equal to the next 13 navies in the world. This was true. China is gaining on us fast. We need to build more ships!!

The Granada Campaign started on 23 October in the year 1983. How times flies? Thanks go out to all those Veterans who served in this successful campaign.

Navy Day is on Friday, 27 October. Go down to Galveston and visit a ship. Thank an old Navy Vet for his service. And don’t forget to take your kids or grandkids out Trick or Treating on Tuesday, 31 October. It is Halloween. Hope that the kids get lots of candy. Stay safe on this evening. Go to a Haunted House. Have fun. Cooler weather may be on the way!

Summer ends this month on the 23rd of September, but we do have most of the month still left with hot to mildly hot weather. At least it is starting to cool down a little bit.

September is a very busy month. Lots going on besides school starting up again…or was that back in August? Who knows? Anyway, Tiger Football is back. Hope that we have a great year again. Go Tigers!!!

You should have bought your new 2023 Texas Hunting License already so you can go dove hunting on 1 September. I hope that you have a place to go. Dove hunting is one of the best sports around.

VJ Day is on Saturday, 2 September. It marks the date that the formal surrender was signed in 1945. Fighting continued on many small islands until sometime in 1946. It was not until 31 December 1946 that President Harry S. Truman declared the official end of WWII. Even then there were a few Japanese soldiers that never surrendered until 1974 or so. At the end of the war there were an estimated three million Japanese soldiers stationed on various islands and in the Philippines. Some of them held out for many years refusing to believe that the war was actually over. Loyal dedicated men.

Labor Day is on Monday, 4 September. Most of us don’t do much labor anymore so I guess it’s not that big of a deal. Anyway, Happy Labor Day. Take a nap.

A lot of us are Grandparents. 10 September is Grandparents Day. Have a great day all you old timers! I hope that you get a card and a free meal.

Here we go. Patriots Day is on Monday, 11 September. It is very important to remember. We must never forget what happened on that day. POW/MIA Recognition Day is on Friday, 15 September. Pray for those that are still held as Prisoners of War. Pray that our Missing will someday be found and returned home to their families. There are still about 81 thousand that are awaiting return. Many of these are lost at sea and will never be found. Keep hoping.

On the 18th of September in the year 1947 the U.S. Air Force was officially established from the U.S. Army Air Forces. This is a great day for all our flyboys and flygals and they are very proud of this day. 76 years as the premier Air Force in the world. Keep ’em flying high.

Autumn begins on Saturday, 23 September. Here comes a little cooler weather, maybe. Who ever knows? It can still be hot for a while. Go see the Tigers play ball.

And remember that 29 September, in the year 1899, was the day that the Veterans of Foreign Wars was established. 124 years old. A great day in America. Go drink a cold one. Just no Bud Light please.