[senior citizen]

Last evening, Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise again hosted the annual Memorial Day concert on the U.S. Capitol lawn which presents a great program honoring the bravery and patriotism of Americans who have served our country.

It was the 25th anniversary of the concert; they do a wonderful job each and every year, carried by PBS.

The show paid tribute to their sacrifices, as well as those of their families and loved ones. It was was heartbreaking to watch, but we did so with a prayer and with great pride in our country and all of those who served so courageously.

As the war in Afghanistan winds down, the 2014 National Memorial Day Concert recognized our servicemen and servicewomen with a special welcome home to thank veterans who served in Afghanistan.

The 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion also will be commemorated in 2014. World War II veterans who participated in the invasion were honored last evening and featured in this tribute to the sacrifices of our nation’s Greatest Generation.

All branches of the service from all of our foreign wars, and homeland, were honored as well as the firefighters, policemen from 911. September 11, 2001.

Just the day before, my husband was watching the day long documentary on the History Channel of the 1940's war years which included all of the horrors it entailed, battle by battle, in Europe, at sea in the Pacific, etc., etc., etc., from Pearl Harbor to Normandy, etc. I thought of my Godfather, my Uncle Mike, who served in the South Pacific in the Mariana Islands , among others.......and my Uncle Steve who was a paratrooper in Korean Conflict..........plus my Uncle Tony who was in the Navy during WWII.

My personal thank you to all of our servicemen and servicewomen....for all you've done for our country........against all odds..........and to their families at home.

We should never forget the great sacrifices made by our young men and women throughout the ages (to include those battlefield nurses who comforted the wounded and dying.)
　
　
　

[PJOHNS2654]

Great show, went through a lot of tissues.