HAMILTON — Recently I heard a radio news report about the mental trauma suffered by a sailor who nearly made it aboard the USS Cole, badly damaged by terrorists in Yemen.

        Though he wasn't involved in the explosion or its aftermath, he was shaken by the news — by the fact that he could have been there.

        It made me think of my late father and others who served in World War II as well as the “police action” of Korea and the war in Vietnam.

        I wonder if such patriotism and commitment are possible in our modern society. The older generation seemed more resilient, tougher — determined.

        When I was a boy, I would sometimes ask my father what happened in the Pacific during World War II. He rarely commented. Sometimes he'd say something about Japanese snipers in trees. Once, when I persisted, he said, “I really don't like to talk about it.”

        My 90-year-old uncle, on the other hand, still talks about his experiences. He was married and in his early 30s when he was drafted. He and my father left Hamilton together and went to the same boot camp, but from there they traveled to opposite ends of the earth.

        My uncle served in Europe during the Battle of the Bulge. He tells of sleeping under trucks to get out of the cold rain. Sleeping in the snow at 5 degrees below zero with nothing but a blanket.

        I bring all this up today because it is Veterans Day, of course, and because Hamilton is a special place for veterans. It is the home of the Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers Monument, a fascinating piece of architecture, with a lot of marble, that was built at the turn of the century.

        At 11 a.m. today, a couple of miles away in the quietude of Veterans Park overlooking the city, the Veterans Memorial Association will conduct its annual memorial service.

        The park, at South C Street and New London Road, has been improved this year. It is another of the city's memorials to its veterans.

        Keynote speaker Lyle E. Moore, Hamilton's fire chief and a Vietnam veteran, served in the Marines from 1964-1967.

        Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1069 will serve as color guard. Many area veterans organizations will participate. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

        It's a simple ceremony held in a simple place, but one worth remembering today.

       Randy McNutt's column runs on Saturday. He may be reached at 860-7118 or at The Cincinnati Enquirer, 4820 Business Center Way, Cincinnati, OH 45246.

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