[Superman]

My father was a Sonarman on a destroyer escort in WW2. I have a picture of the ship framed in my home. I have a framed picture of him as a young sailor, along with the medals he won and some information about his service to the Navy. I have his canvas sea bags, his uniform and the flag that covered his casket a few years ago when he passed away.

I want it known that I have the utmost respect for the men and women who chose to (or agreed to) put their lives on the line in service to America and its people and principles. But I also want to express another emotion here. Envy. I wish I had been there. I watched an old retired WW2 pilot interviewed once and when he was asked about the tragedy and loss of life and loss of friends and danger to himself in the context of "was it worth it?", he looked square at the interviewer and said "You've got to be kidding. I was a nineteen year-old young American male commanding the fastest and most potent fighter plane in the world and I was asked to shoot down America's enemies. I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE!"

I'll bet. The saddest thing about these guys, service is that it ended and nothing else later in their lives came anywhere close to the FOCUS and the fidelity and the opportunity and the camaraderie and the self-awarness and the honor they had during that time. I truly, truly, wish I could have what they had.