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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
May 29, 2006
/ 2 Sivan, 5766
Wars change with times, not soldiers
By
Mitch Albom
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
It was a black-and-white photo. My father in uniform. It sat in a frame on a tabletop. From my earliest memory, that photo was part of our family story.
"That's when dad was in the Army, right?" we kids would ask.
"The Air Force," he would say.
"The Air Force," we'd repeat.
Most of my friend's fathers had these photos, too. Man in uniform. Stripes on the arm. A hat or a helmet. Maybe a weapon.
As the oldest boy in our family, I figured one day there would be a photograph of me in my uniform. I remember in the mid-1960s, when a female cousin from New York got engaged to man in "the service." That's how our family referred to it back then. "He's in the service."
When we met him for the first time, he was wearing his uniform, a crisp, light tan outfit. His hair was cut short. He smoked cigarettes.
So this was a soldier, I thought.
And again, I figured, I would one day look like that.
In those days, which were not so long ago, soldiers were part of every family. The grandfathers and uncles had fought in World War II. The fathers had fought in Korea. The sons were going to Vietnam.
The odds of a family having personal experience with the military were pretty high. I'll bet if you went from garage to garage in my old neighborhood, you'd find some memento — a medal, an Army knife, a set of dog tags — in nearly every one.
Today, that is not the case. Today, the houses with soldier stories are limited. Frequently, they are in the working-class areas. Often they are in poor and minority areas. You can't drive through chic neighborhoods in the suburbs and expect to find many folks talking about their kids being "shipped overseas," code words in our day for a soldier's duty.
And so for the general population, Memorial Day, which is today, becomes more and more about wars past and less and less about those fighting today. The families with members in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere are clustered in certain sections of the country.
And while most Americans have an opinion on the latest war — and Lord knows we get polled enough about it — the majority of us are not living in fear of a phone call or a telegram with the worst kind of news.
Think about how the nature of military service has changed since the 1940s. Back then, kids lied about their age to sign up. They fought with passion. Their safe return home was the stuff of Hollywood movies. The pride in a soldier — both his own and his family's — was tangible.
We moved to the 1960s, where war touched every home, but not always with pride. Young men often tried to defer their service, or find loopholes out of it. Soldiers returning from Vietnam were not hailed. At times, they were hooted.
Then came the all-volunteer military, which is now our norm. Some join this military to fight the bad guys. Some do it for opportunity or money. And some of them have to listen to their actions questioned and criticized by everyone from their neighbors to talk radio.
What we all need to remember is, no matter what the politics or where the war takes place, fighting in the name of your country is always a sacrifice, and, when it comes to the soldiers themselves, nearly always a noble one.
So when a soldier is lost, yesterday, today or tomorrow, he or she should be honored and mourned. That is what Memorial Day is about. Not hot dogs. Not charcoal. It's about the line that connects all those photos that sit on tabletops and mantles, the best and the bravest, and the ones who never came back.
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© 2006, THE DETROIT FREE PRESS
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